Millions Eligible For Free Tickets Through Ticketmaster
Updated Tuesday, June 21, 11:44 a.m.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- If you bought a ticket through Ticketmaster between late 1999 and early 2013, you could be eligible for free tickets to a number of events.
As CBS2's Elise Finch reported the ticked vendor recently settled a class-action lawsuit where it was accused of overcharging people.
In 2003, five customers filed lawsuit claiming that Tickmaster's order processing fees and UPS delivery fees were excessive and deceptive.
The company denied the claims, but last month it settled the lawsuit and is paying up.
Ticketmaster will pay nearly $400 million in discounts people can use on future purchases. They're in $2.25 increments -- $7.25 if your tickets were delivered by UPS.
But good luck trying to access those vouchers on Ticketmaster.
Some people who purchased tickets during the designated time period reported not having any vouchers, while others were unable to check due to high demand on Ticketmaster.com.
On Tuesday, the following message was popping up on the site:
At present we're experiencing overwhelming load to our systems.
Please sign up to receive periodic notifications by email. Thanks for your patience, we'll be in touch as soon as possible.
For more information, please visit http://www.ticketfeelitigation.com/faq#Q18 – Ticket Fee Litigation site
An email sent to eligible Ticketmaster customers includes instructions on how to get vouchers for free tickets to selected events as well as discounts on Ticketmaster purchases. Those who bought a ticket through the company between October 21, 1999, and February 27, 2013, are eligible. The vouchers expire in four years.
"I feel they should give a little more," Urban Contour of Bed-Stuy said.
Robin Schiltkamp of the Upper West Side said, "It makes a difference. A penny saved is a penny earned and anything you save is worth it to me."
To see if you have vouchers waiting for you, click here and log in to your account.
Billboard magazine reports that about 50 million people are in line to receive the vouchers.
All of the Discount Codes will be accessible on the "my account page on Ticketmaster's website.
Ticketmaster has also issued vouchers good for a free pair of tickets to certain events, but the company is only required to activate those vouchers if customers don't use at least $10 million worth of the small discount codes in the next 12 months.
Ticketmaster is now part of Beverly Hills-based Live Nation Entertainment Inc.
To check a list of Frequently Asked Questions, click here.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
