I was dreading the moment when I would sit down to write today's blog. I've had this feeling before during specific moments this past year - not every day is happiness and sunshine, right? We all have those times and we all get through them as best we can. Last night I was a complete bundle of stress and nerves, and I can say that it had everything to do with this band.
Yesterday Amanda forwarded me an email she'd received from Artist Arena, simply stating that my Valley Center tickets would be available at Will Call the day of the show and not mailed out. At the time, I remember wondering why she'd gotten the email, given the fact that the tickets were purchased in my name. (by Amanda - she did it as a favor while I was on vacation this summer and did not have internet access) It wasn't until later in the day when I stopped to consider the entirety of the situation that I started to panic. You see, Amanda bought my VIP tickets to the Valley Center show. Since she was the one purchasing the tickets, she used her credit card, and as such she entered her name in the billing information - which one is SUPPOSED to do. My name was entered for shipping since the tickets were coming to me, and the entire transaction was credited to my Artist Arena account. (she used my login info with my permission. Obviously.) Normally this wouldn't pose a problem because the hard tickets would be sent to me - but because this is now a Will Call show, I have to bring the email confirmation to get my tickets. Immediately I emailed Artist Arena, explaining the situation, and in the meantime I checked through the FAQ on the Artist Arena site. As it turns out, the person who picks up the tickets must be listed in the Billing information...and Artist Arena will not change this information (which I can't really blame them for that policy in this day and age). The trouble of course is that Amanda doesn't live in California, and she won't be out here for this show. Then I really started freaking out. My children were home, so I didn't dare start throwing things or using a good picture of the band as the target on my dartboard (a slight exaggeration since this really isn't their fault). I sat calmly and realized that, once again, I may not be seeing this band. Yet I paid over $500 for this show (two tickets) that I wouldn't be getting back. I emailed Amanda and tried to remain calm. I shredded beef in preparation for our dinner. Then Amanda called, and after I finished saying that if I couldn't get into this show that I was all done with this band....enough was enough. (Again, this isn't their fault but I am human - and I was very upset at that moment and it's been a really rough year for me with that band. Wow.), we came up with a plan of several people to email. To make matters more confusing, the transaction is in MY account history on Artist Arena - not Amanda's, and I received the order confirmation directly from Artist Arena. However, the updated notice about the tickets being at Will Call went to Amanda, not me. Both names were on the order, however, and it's very clear to both of us that Artist Arena wasn't at all sure whom they should contact and when. I mentioned that I would blog about it this morning, not necessarily to whine and complain, but to make everyone else aware that if this ever happens to you - where you need someone to purchase your tickets - don't do it the way we did!! This pubic service announcement provided by Daily Duranie. :)
After my phone call with Amanda, I had a hard time eating dinner. I just felt sick. $500 is a lot of money to lose on a show, and at that point, we'd gotten nowhere with Artist Arena. I'd called them earlier in the day and gotten nowhere fast (the phone just rang and rang), and then Amanda called and gotten the voice prompt run-around. I couldn't sit still after dinner, and I did not sleep well last night at all. I got up this morning, checked my email - and there was nothing. I kept going over everything in my head, knowing that in the future, I'd learned my lesson. Amanda and I must always go to the same shows!
I thought about what I would say in this blog. I didn't want to sound like a whiny baby, because ultimately, Amanda and I made a mistake when tickets were ordered. We didn't realize my name had to be under billing, and although I still think that policy is off (the tickets should go to the person they are being shipped, no matter what.), the bottom line is that we didn't see the FAQ until it was too late. I didn't want to sound mad and upset, but of course I was. How could I not? I also didn't want to have people come down on me for writing about my experience - which I've personally seen happen on other message boards. So, I really didn't know how the blog would read today. Thankfully, it has a good ending.
It wasn't until after I'd gotten home from taking my son to school that an email appeared in my in-box from someone at Artist Arena that my fears were put to rest. Purely because of the fact that Amanda had the foresight to have both of our names on the order in some fashion - they were willing to make sure the tickets were put in my name for the show, and I thanked them profusely for doing so. I have heard plenty of complaints about Artist Arena, and while I am sure many if not all are founded in fair reasoning - Amanda and I have been lucky.
One thing I will say, however - is that their reasoning behind using the name on the billing information is not sound. To begin with, most credit card companies insist that the billing information (name, address, etc) matches the name of the purchaser - so it's not like Amanda could have put my name down as the purchaser and then used her credit card without that being called into question. I suppose I could have given Amanda my credit card number - and actually I'd asked her if she wanted it, but she felt more comfortable using her own and just having me pay her back. (we obviously trust one another completely - I would never openly suggest such a thing to other people who may not know one another as well.) There are many, many situations where things like this can happen, and so my only advice is "Buyer Beware...and read the FAQ's before you order!!" Make sure you always have both names on the order if you're ordering for someone else and are using your own credit card, because you never know when your show is going to end up being Will Call.
So, for any band members that may or may not be reading: this is your fair warning. I will be in the audience in Valley Center. 3rd row, Dom's side. I look forward to rocking out and coming out of that show sweaty and happy! It's only going to be slightly awkward trying not to be overly emotional (aka screaming and yelling) with my husband standing right next to me... you'd think he'd be used to this by now, but as he mentioned last night - he's never been this close to the stage with me before. I'm almost worried for him!
(Nah...I do wish Amanda were going to be there with me though!)
I hope everyone who has tickets to shows has a great time. I know that I will...and that this is just the beginning. My real triumphant moment will come in late November and December when a great personal dream of mine comes true and I see the band in their homeland. It's going to happen this time!
-R
Yesterday Amanda forwarded me an email she'd received from Artist Arena, simply stating that my Valley Center tickets would be available at Will Call the day of the show and not mailed out. At the time, I remember wondering why she'd gotten the email, given the fact that the tickets were purchased in my name. (by Amanda - she did it as a favor while I was on vacation this summer and did not have internet access) It wasn't until later in the day when I stopped to consider the entirety of the situation that I started to panic. You see, Amanda bought my VIP tickets to the Valley Center show. Since she was the one purchasing the tickets, she used her credit card, and as such she entered her name in the billing information - which one is SUPPOSED to do. My name was entered for shipping since the tickets were coming to me, and the entire transaction was credited to my Artist Arena account. (she used my login info with my permission. Obviously.) Normally this wouldn't pose a problem because the hard tickets would be sent to me - but because this is now a Will Call show, I have to bring the email confirmation to get my tickets. Immediately I emailed Artist Arena, explaining the situation, and in the meantime I checked through the FAQ on the Artist Arena site. As it turns out, the person who picks up the tickets must be listed in the Billing information...and Artist Arena will not change this information (which I can't really blame them for that policy in this day and age). The trouble of course is that Amanda doesn't live in California, and she won't be out here for this show. Then I really started freaking out. My children were home, so I didn't dare start throwing things or using a good picture of the band as the target on my dartboard (a slight exaggeration since this really isn't their fault). I sat calmly and realized that, once again, I may not be seeing this band. Yet I paid over $500 for this show (two tickets) that I wouldn't be getting back. I emailed Amanda and tried to remain calm. I shredded beef in preparation for our dinner. Then Amanda called, and after I finished saying that if I couldn't get into this show that I was all done with this band....enough was enough. (Again, this isn't their fault but I am human - and I was very upset at that moment and it's been a really rough year for me with that band. Wow.), we came up with a plan of several people to email. To make matters more confusing, the transaction is in MY account history on Artist Arena - not Amanda's, and I received the order confirmation directly from Artist Arena. However, the updated notice about the tickets being at Will Call went to Amanda, not me. Both names were on the order, however, and it's very clear to both of us that Artist Arena wasn't at all sure whom they should contact and when. I mentioned that I would blog about it this morning, not necessarily to whine and complain, but to make everyone else aware that if this ever happens to you - where you need someone to purchase your tickets - don't do it the way we did!! This pubic service announcement provided by Daily Duranie. :)
After my phone call with Amanda, I had a hard time eating dinner. I just felt sick. $500 is a lot of money to lose on a show, and at that point, we'd gotten nowhere with Artist Arena. I'd called them earlier in the day and gotten nowhere fast (the phone just rang and rang), and then Amanda called and gotten the voice prompt run-around. I couldn't sit still after dinner, and I did not sleep well last night at all. I got up this morning, checked my email - and there was nothing. I kept going over everything in my head, knowing that in the future, I'd learned my lesson. Amanda and I must always go to the same shows!
I thought about what I would say in this blog. I didn't want to sound like a whiny baby, because ultimately, Amanda and I made a mistake when tickets were ordered. We didn't realize my name had to be under billing, and although I still think that policy is off (the tickets should go to the person they are being shipped, no matter what.), the bottom line is that we didn't see the FAQ until it was too late. I didn't want to sound mad and upset, but of course I was. How could I not? I also didn't want to have people come down on me for writing about my experience - which I've personally seen happen on other message boards. So, I really didn't know how the blog would read today. Thankfully, it has a good ending.
It wasn't until after I'd gotten home from taking my son to school that an email appeared in my in-box from someone at Artist Arena that my fears were put to rest. Purely because of the fact that Amanda had the foresight to have both of our names on the order in some fashion - they were willing to make sure the tickets were put in my name for the show, and I thanked them profusely for doing so. I have heard plenty of complaints about Artist Arena, and while I am sure many if not all are founded in fair reasoning - Amanda and I have been lucky.
One thing I will say, however - is that their reasoning behind using the name on the billing information is not sound. To begin with, most credit card companies insist that the billing information (name, address, etc) matches the name of the purchaser - so it's not like Amanda could have put my name down as the purchaser and then used her credit card without that being called into question. I suppose I could have given Amanda my credit card number - and actually I'd asked her if she wanted it, but she felt more comfortable using her own and just having me pay her back. (we obviously trust one another completely - I would never openly suggest such a thing to other people who may not know one another as well.) There are many, many situations where things like this can happen, and so my only advice is "Buyer Beware...and read the FAQ's before you order!!" Make sure you always have both names on the order if you're ordering for someone else and are using your own credit card, because you never know when your show is going to end up being Will Call.
So, for any band members that may or may not be reading: this is your fair warning. I will be in the audience in Valley Center. 3rd row, Dom's side. I look forward to rocking out and coming out of that show sweaty and happy! It's only going to be slightly awkward trying not to be overly emotional (aka screaming and yelling) with my husband standing right next to me... you'd think he'd be used to this by now, but as he mentioned last night - he's never been this close to the stage with me before. I'm almost worried for him!
(Nah...I do wish Amanda were going to be there with me though!)
I hope everyone who has tickets to shows has a great time. I know that I will...and that this is just the beginning. My real triumphant moment will come in late November and December when a great personal dream of mine comes true and I see the band in their homeland. It's going to happen this time!
-R
I've been to theatre shows that are even stricter. You have to pick up your tickets with the credit card that was used to make the ticket purchase. I can understand that it's a security issue, but still.
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