Hundreds of Foo Fighters fans were turned away from the band’s show at London’s O2 last night.
The Evening Standard report that ticket-holders who were unable to provide photographic ID matching their booking order were refused entry to the concert, which was organised as part of the venue’s 10th anniversary.
Some of those affected included fans who had paid hundreds of pounds for tickets through secondary sales site StubHub, which was the O2’s official partner for the show – with concert-goers reporting that they hadn’t been made aware of the restrictions before hand.
However, that has been disputed by some fans who say that news of photo ID checks at the door were clearly stated on the ticket confirmation email.
Some fans were eventually allowed to enter the O2 after voicing their complaints to staff.
An O2 spokesman told the paper: “At the request of the band, all tickets are being verified for tonight’s show at The O2. All fans are required to show proof of ID. This does mean that some who have bought through secondary sites, including our partner StubHub, may not be able to see the show.
“Ticket buyers should contact their original point of purchase if they encounter issues.”
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After Classic Rock approached StubHub for a comment on last night’s situation, a spokesperson said: “All purchases made on StubHub are backed by our market-leading FanProtect Guarantee, meaning that customers who are denied entry to an event will receive a full refund for their purchase.
“The problem with putting restrictions on tickets is that there are often unintended consequences. On StubHub, over 60% of tickets for this event were listed in the last month.
“Many fans will receive tickets as gifts, will have a change of plans, or will want to enter the venue separately from the lead booker – and these restrictions mean that they can be denied entry.
“This is simply not fair for consumers, as they have no option to get a refund.”
Last year, Iron Maiden implemented ‘paperless ticketing’ to protect their fans from ticket touts. Measures included the requirement to have the original cardholder purchaser to be present at entry.
As a result of the initiative, Maiden reported that sales on the secondary market had plummeted by more that 95%.
Sites under fire for selling secondary tickets with ID restrictions
