Greg Ferrier of Middleborough, Massachusetts, has been going to concerts for decades.
"Hundreds of shows. Not just big name bands, but all types of bands, outdoor concerts," said Ferrier. "I've never had a problem with tickets in my life. This was the first time."
In 2019, Ferrier bought $400 worth of tickets on the online ticketing site viagogo to see The Doobie Brothers at Mohegan Sun. After a pandemic postponement, the band finally took the stage last October, but his digital tickets never came through.
"They kept sending me emails and telling me they were going to be coming at any time," he said. "To go on my account and watch for them to come in. They never did."
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He says he called the company right up until showtime, and they assured him the tickets would come through. When they didn't, Ferrier says he bought another set of tickets so they wouldn't miss the show.
Afterward, he tried to get a refund.
"I had called them four or five or six times. They said that they would get right back to me," he said. "They said they had their customer service on the case. I kept getting emails from them that said the same thing over and over and over. We kind of gave up hope. Once you go through all of this, you figure you took the loss."
Ferrier reached out to NBC10 Boston Responds for help as a last resort.
"It's frustrating, because you really don't have a lot of recourse," he said. "You feel like somebody's taking advantage of you."
NBC10 Boston Responds contacted viagogo on Ferrier's behalf.
"We provide a safe and secure platform for customers to buy or re-sell tickets with a viagogo guarantee. The viagogo guarantee ensures that buyers get their ticket in time and gain access to the event, otherwise they receive an alternative ticket, or in the worst case, which is very rarely, a full refund," the company said in a statement. "In this instance, the ticket delivery method was changed by the seller following purchase of the tickets, which unfortunately resulted in a rare customer service error. Our team has since been in contact with the customer and in line with our guarantee Gregory has received a full refund, plus additional compensation in the form of a voucher. We apologize for any inconvenience caused."
Ferrier got his $400 back, and a $50 voucher for a future purchase.
"I am thrilled to have this behind me," he said. "I know this wouldn't have happened without you, so I'm very grateful for that!"
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