OML Verified Fan Presale Contest concerns

Discussion in 'Linkin Park Chat' started by Eliot227, May 9, 2017.

  1. #1
    Eliot227

    Eliot227 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2012
    Messages:
    162
    Likes Received:
    9



    TL;DR: The Verified Fan Presale contest may be guilty of a bait-and-switch, advertising false advantages to participating in the contest when in fact all LPU members will get access to presale tickets at the same, and earliest time, of anyone who participated in the presale contest, rending the participating of any LPU member in the contest - barring the top 5 prizes - as completely pointless.


    Hey everyone. I, like I'm sure many of you, just finished competing in this contest for priority ticket presale access and prizes for the OML tour, presale for which begins tomorrow morning. I'd like to share a few observations and concerns I've had about the contest and hope to learn something from the input of others on this matter.

    I'm an LPU member. I participated in the contest hoping to win access to Group 1 presale, as well as potentially signed merch from and a meet & greet with the band. I read in the FAQ (here) under the "I'm an LPU member do I get priority?" question that being an LPU member still affords you some "priority" in the presale queue. I saw on Ticketmaster.com during the duration of this contest, however, that there was a very clear breakdown between Verified Fan/Group 1 presale access, listed to begin at 9 AM PDT, and LPU/Fan Club access, to begin at 10 AM PDT. It is this one-hour advantage that led me to compete in the contest. The "See Your Spot in Line" presale page showed that Group 1 would receive presale access at 9 AM PDT throughout the entirety of the contest.

    However, since the contest has ended, things have changed. The day after the contest ended, the "Spot in Line" page changed from displaying 9 AM PDT for Group 1 to 10 AM PDT. Additionally, Ticketmaster.com changed from showing several different presale types and time breakdowns to showing only "Verified Fan Presale Access" (No mention of LPU) to begin at 10 AM PDT. This begs the question: do all LPU members, even though who did not go through the trouble of participating in the contest, get access to presale tickets at the same time as anyone, LPU or not, who worked hard to earn a spot in Group 1 of the Verified Fan Presale?

    I've reached out to both Strobe Labs and Ticketmaster and have yet to receive a clear answer.

    Based on the original presale time breakdown I referenced, this certainly was not advertised to be the case. If this were the case, I'm not sure what reason any LPU member would have for participating in the contest unless they were trying strictly to get into the top 5 in their city. With so few additionally rewarded, it would seem there'd be almost no point.

    Has anyone else who has been participating in this contest picked up on any of this? Is there anything I'm missing? Sitting here at 7 PM PDT the night before the presale still with no code and faced with the prospect of working as hard as I did only to be competing with every single LPU member for tickets is an extremely frustrating potential reality to embrace.

    Additionally, as an aside, for my city and tour location (LA, Hollywood Bowl), the entire venue is seats only - no pit. Other shows have reserved the entire front section of the venue (called the Pool Circle) for VIP tickets - these generally come with a meet & greet. I earned the #1 spot in LA through this contest, so I won a meet & greet with the band for this show. But I was also competing for priority ticket access and naturally want the best seat I can get. Will I now have to pay VIP prices and purchase a SECOND meet & greet to the same show? There's no information anywhere.

    I feel very slighted by this entire contest. I worked hard to earn the #1 spot in my city. I look forward to my signed merch and meet & greet, and I hope very much to secure great seats for the show during the presale tomorrow. But if I could have accomplished virtually all of this (minus the signed merch but including the meet & greet, through LPU) without working hard to get others to sign up for the presale and buy the album, I wouldn't have gone through the trouble. Have I been dooped?
     
    @LP2K12 and Rahat like this.
  2. #2
    Rahat

    Rahat Nyeh LPA VIP

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2007
    Messages:
    1,839
    Likes Received:
    26



    Having some concerns about this myself. I participated (ended in 7th so close gah) and am also an LPU member. Initially it told me I'd be able to buy tickets at 12 PM EDT but ever since after the thing was over it's now saying 1 PM EDT. If they took away any bonus with the LPU that's a little messed up since well we are the original verified fans. Did you get an email today with a link to go for purchasing? The page says one email should be sent today and another tomorrow but I haven't gotten a thing.
     
  3. #3
    Eliot227

    Eliot227 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2012
    Messages:
    162
    Likes Received:
    9



    I haven't received a code, and I've spoken to several friends who also haven't. I don't know anyone who has. Presale is supposed to begin in 13 hours and 24 minutes.
     
  4. #4
    Rahat

    Rahat Nyeh LPA VIP

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2007
    Messages:
    1,839
    Likes Received:
    26



    Just got an email giving me my official final spot in line. Looks like it is indeed one hour later than originally said.
     
  5. #5
    Bubbles

    Bubbles I blow a lot of...

    Joined:
    May 26, 2012
    Messages:
    45
    Likes Received:
    3



    I just got my email. Still am disappointed with the way they handled this though. Even as an LPU member I still don't have a great spot in line.
     
  6. #6
    Sherri

    Sherri Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2017
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0



    I still haven't gotten anything, and I'm getting angry. It looks like I've been removed from the line. When the spots were locked in, I was #40 in line, and in group 1. Then early Sunday afternoon when I checked, I was 35th in line. Later that day, I was 32nd in line. Last night, I checked, and it said "#" and that I was in group 4.
    The pre-sale starts in 4 hours, and I still haven't gotten the email I was supposed to get yesterday. I still don't have a number for my place in line, and I didn't get a code yet. I emailed strobe, but they haven't responded yet.
    It looks like I'm going to have to wait until Friday and take my chances with the bots, and risk having to pay double for tickets.
    I joined LPU for pre-sale access, and I'm getting screwed.
     
  7. #7
    Derek

    Derek LPAssociation.com Administrator LPA Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2002
    Messages:
    41,884
    Likes Received:
    2,370



    LPU members are not affected. As far as I know and this has come from Lorenzo, you'll get early presale access the way you guys always have. The presale people are not getting an advantage over LPU members whatsoever. And why? Well think of it this way: If LPU members were affected by this pre-sale contest and didn't retain their advantages for tickets there would be a riot. Imagine paying for a fanclub membership because you were told it gives you special access to presales or allows you to meet the band....and then suddenly, some dude who is not even an LPU member gets better tickets than you do. You'd be out for blood.

    So barring a total screwup by LPUHQ, you guys should still get the best tickets and earliest tickets. The presale folks get the best remaining of whatever LPUers didn't get first.
     
    @LP2K12 likes this.
  8. #8
    Sherri

    Sherri Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2017
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0



    I still haven't gotten a link or code. I have no way to buy tickets before they go on sale for everyone on Friday. As far as I can tell, I've been removed from the pre-sale line entirely.
     
  9. #9
    Derek

    Derek LPAssociation.com Administrator LPA Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2002
    Messages:
    41,884
    Likes Received:
    2,370



    If you haven't already, email lpuhq[at]lpunderground.com ASAP. That is the support email for LPU and they'll be able to figure out if something is wrong.
     
  10. #10
    Sherri

    Sherri Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2017
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0



    Thanks. I emailed them. I hope they can do something before the pre-sale starts.
     
  11. #11
    Sherri

    Sherri Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2017
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0



    I got an automated reply that said I'll be assigned a code at 9 am EST, but I don't understand why it says I'm in group 4, when I was in group 1 when spots were supposedly locked in. I was never lower than group 2.
     
  12. #12
    Sherri

    Sherri Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2017
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0



    It's after 6 am PST. I should have gotten a code by now, but still nothing.
     
    Last edited: May 9, 2017
  13. #13
    Sherri

    Sherri Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2017
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0



    I emailed lpuhq again, but I haven't gotten a response yet. The pre-sale starts in 2 1/2 hours.
     
  14. #14
    BrandonR24

    BrandonR24 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2006
    Messages:
    246
    Likes Received:
    12



    I'm in the LPU and it was verified, got Group 2. I'm assuming that's right. I heard LPU would be groups 1 and 2. Just hope I can get the pit!
     
  15. #15
    Sherri

    Sherri Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2017
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0



    Nobody is responding, and I still haven't gotten my code. I'm getting really angry.
     
  16. #16
    Eliot227

    Eliot227 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2012
    Messages:
    162
    Likes Received:
    9



    I appreciate your point very much, Derek. It's basically the same point I'm making but in reverse. Think of it this way: If LPU members participate in this contest because of a perceived opportunity for an advantage in the pre-sale queue, potentially spending far more than $10 to place into Group 1 and/or the top 5 in their city, only to find that not participating at all and spending no more than the $10 they did on LPU would earn them the exact same spot in the presale queue, you'd be.... well, really upset.

    It seems extremely unlikely that someone would work hard to place in Group 1 and/or Top 5 of the Linkin Park Verified Fan Presale and NOT be in the LPU. The contest more than implied an advantage to participating for all fans interested in the presale. What about fans who participated, are in LPU, and ended up in Group 2? Would they get a later presale time as punishment for not being in Group 1? And even if not, doesn't that render their spot in line completely pointless anyway?

    This contest was advertised falsely. The perceived advantages do not exist for the band's most loyal fans, LPU members. I wasted a lot of time and energy, and I personally know people who wasted significant sums of hard-earned money, for the equivalent of no advantage at all beyond the one provided by their $10 LPU membership.

    And last but not least, my worst fears about VIP tickets have been realized. The only way to get the best seat in the house, which I worked hard to have access to via this presale, would now require me to pay an unknown but undoubtedly high price to purchase ANOTHER meet & greet on top of the one top 2 finishers (myself included) already earned/paid for through the contest. What a sham.
     
  17. #17
    Sherri

    Sherri Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2017
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0



    I spent over $100 on the deluxe lpu bundle and this what I get. Unbelievable.
     
  18. #18
    Sherri

    Sherri Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2017
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0



    The pre-sale starts in an hour and a half, I still haven't received my code, and nobody is telling me what's going on. I paid over $100 for this.
    By the time somebody answers me, all of the good tickets will be gone, and I'll probably have to wait until Friday and pay double the price for a ticket.
     
  19. #19
    UNiPersona

    UNiPersona previously known as STARKINATOR

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2010
    Messages:
    1,069
    Likes Received:
    88



    I thought you can always get GA though? Like, reserved seats are not better than GA Pit though...?

    On a different note, I don't think being in Group 2 will really hurt your chances of getting a good ticket.. I have a feeling Group 1 for each show is probably just gonna be, IDK, like 20-something people lol.
     
  20. #20
    Derek

    Derek LPAssociation.com Administrator LPA Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2002
    Messages:
    41,884
    Likes Received:
    2,370



    Sherri, please use the 'edit' button if you want to add additional comments instead of making duplicate posts.

    Unfortunately we are not the LPU and cannot really give you any solid answers on the presale and how this works.
     
    Last edited: May 9, 2017

Share This Page