Michael Jackson Tickets: Refund or Souvenir?
June 30th, 2009 4 Comments » | POSTED BY ROB
The Michael Jackson ticket saga took another twist today when concert promoter AEG said that ticketholders could either choose to have a refund or still receive their tickets, which they say could become collectors items.
Promoter AEG Live said the tickets feature graphics “inspired and designed” by the music legend, who died at the age of 50 on Thursday. It adds that the originals will become collectors’ items, and feature special images which give them a 3D moving effect.
It’s an interesting choice. Cold, hard cash in your back pocket, or the gamble that your souvenir Jacko hologrammed ticket might one day be worth more than the amount you forked out in the first place. Of course, it’s worth remembering that 799,999 other people will be thinking the same, and about half of those who do take up the offer of souvenir tickets will be thinking about putting them on eBay the minute they drop through the post box.
I should imagine that for some of Jackson’s most ardent fans (and admittedly, there are lots of them), it will be a no-brainer to keep the tickets as (expensive and disappointing) souvenirs. For the rest of the ticketholders, I would have thought that the refund would be the way to go, rather than having to find somewhere to keep a piece of shiny paper as a constant reminder of a day out you shelled out for that never came.
Fans have until 14th August to decide.
4 Comments on “Michael Jackson Tickets: Refund or Souvenir?”
jason wicks, July 2nd, 2009
I think AEG should be giving the tickets to us ardent fans for free along with our refunds as a good will gesture, and not trying to recoup money they may have lost, we spent hours online trying to get these tickets and lost money on hotel bookings. I want my ticket to frame, but cant afford to lose £75.
The FT had a very interesting article about this dilemma in their weekend magazine today. They argued that the best financial outcome for someone who was neutral would be to take the refund, as there was no guarantee that the souvenir ticket will offer more financial reward or satisfaction.
I think it is pretty poor ethics from AEG not to be offering these tickets for free in addition to the refund, but from a economic point of view it is pure genius. They give out a souvenir that will cost 10p to print, instead of paying back £75. Of course they probably won’t recoup all the money they have spent already, but it will help them to avoid bankruptcy.
I’ve written more about this situation and scenario at my website, http://www.london-insider.co.uk
Jacko Tickets: Refund or Souvenir? / Money Watch, July 7th, 2009
[...] Last week we mentioned the news that Michael Jackson concert promoter AEG was offering fans who’d purchased tickets to his shows the chance to either keep the tickets as souvenirs or to get a refund. [...]
Download Free Movies Online, July 11th, 2010
most of us loved michael jackson god bless you michael
