Seattle ‘Swifties’ join Ticketmaster lawsuit after melt-down left them empty-handed
Jul 20, 2023, 6:49 AM
(Photo from KIRO 7)
(Photo from KIRO 7)
This weekend thousands of Taylor Swift fans will be in Seattle to catch her two-night ‘Eras Tour’ at Lumen Field. But for many of those fans, getting tickets required hours of patience, a lot of cash, and overcoming a Ticketmaster meltdown.
Now, some ‘Swifties’ are joining a class-action lawsuit. Many claim their ticket-buying experience was ruined because of Ticketmaster mishaps, including Seattle resident, Isai Valdez.
“I thought if any fan group has the power to move the world or do anything, it’s Taylor Swift fans. And I happen to be one of them,” said Valdez.
Valdez is a die-hard Swiftie. He’s also one of more than 300 plaintiffs now taking on Ticketmaster, accusing the company of fraud, negligence, and anti-trust violations.
He was one of the thousands of fans that witnessed the Ticketmaster melt-down first-hand in November when the ‘Era Tour’ tickets went on pre-sale.
He and select other Swift fans were promised ‘pre-sale codes’ that would allow them to get first-choice at their tickets. Instead, most waited for hours, had their online carts emptied, or weren’t able to get tickets at all.
“I waited hours. I waited five hours,” said Valdez, leaving the first sale without a ticket.
To some, it may appear to be ‘champagne problems’, but to Valdez, it’s proof of a flawed system for concert-goers.
He’s not alone in calling for change. Following November’s Ticketmaster fallout, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted “Daily reminder that Ticketmaster is a monopoly… Break them up.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has opened an anti-trust investigation into the site.
Valdez hopes their lawsuit will create change, not just for Swifties, but for others too.
“In every other industry, you have options. People you can call. Customer service. You have protections in the airline industry. You have all these things, but why not in ticket purchasing?” said Valdez.
