| 22nd October 2007 09:55 AM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Hannah Montana ticket prices soar, parents enraged
Updated Sat. Oct. 20 2007 3:06 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Desperate dads and infuriated moms have been left scrambling as inflated scalper prices for the wildly popular Hannah Montana stage show set a record for the most expensive act this year.
A total of 54 shows, scheduled from Oct. 18 to Jan.9, sold out in minutes. This left parents turning to scalpers to contend with their disappointed teenagers.
Debra Rathwell, vice-president of concert promoter AEG Live, told CTV Newsnet that the average ticket price in the smaller markets started out as US$55 and $65 in larger ones.
Moms are now shelling out as much as $1,000 for a pair of tickets, while dads are dressing in drag to get a crack at winning some seats for their kids. One ticket for the "Best of Both Worlds Tour" in Charlotte, N.C., sold for $2,565.
"We've had so many complaints from parents who have been to websites seeing tickets for the shows that they want to go and see, selling in the hundreds to thousands of dollars and they are completely outraged that people could have these tickets and are charging these prices," Rathwell said Saturday from New York.
Those over the age of 14 may not be aware of the phenomenon currently sweeping across North America known as Hannah Montana.
Fourteen-year-old Miley Cyrus, daughter of famed country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, stars in the Disney Channel's smash hit series that depicts the life of a normal teenager with a secret career as a pop star.
Tickets for her tour have outpriced iconic acts like Bruce Springsteen and The Police. Shows have sold out in as little as four minutes.
"I think in a lot of these markets, people have never experienced not being able to buy a ticket, assuming they did all the right things," Rathwell said.
Rathwell said the speed of Internet ticket purchases left many who lined up at ticket kiosks or who tried to purchase seats over the phone empty-handed.
"Once they were gone, we couldn't possibly meet the demand for the people looking for the tickets," she said.
As a result, furious parents launched aggressive complaints campaigns with local media, the U.S. Better Business Bureau and even their state attorney generals.
Four separate attorney generals across the United States are currently investigating whether scalpers used computer software to snatch the prized tickets faster than the general public.
"When Disney first announced these 54 shows ... immediately the (ticket) broker sites started lighting up with these tickets that they have for hundreds and thousand of dollars when we actually haven't printed any of these tickets yet," Rathwell said Saturday. "So that's the kind of thing the attorney generals are looking into."
Earlier this week, a U.S. judge granted a request by Ticketmaster LLC to block a software company from making or distributing the computer programs.
In her ruling, the judge determined that that the software harms Ticketmaster and the public "because it denies consumers the opportunity to purchase tickets to events at a fair price."
With a report from CTV's John Vennavally-Rao and files from The Associated Press
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| 22nd October 2007 11:42 AM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
>Those over the age of 14 may not be aware of the phenomenon currently sweeping across North America known as Hannah Montana.<
Don't trust anyone over 14, I guess.
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| 22nd October 2007 12:20 PM |
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| bilsim |
For a fourteen you're old she's hot. I'm 20 so I can say that. |
| 22nd October 2007 12:44 PM |
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| Dan |
I haven't seen so much controversy and so much bleating over tickets before. I bet by the time the entitlement breeders are done whining, you won't even be able to sell your Stones extra for face here on Rocks Off. |
| 22nd October 2007 01:42 PM |
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| Starbuck |
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| 22nd October 2007 02:56 PM |
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| Le chef |
Don't break my heart... My achy-breaky heart... |
| 22nd October 2007 03:01 PM |
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| Brainbell Jangler |
quote:
bilsim wrote:
For a fourteen you're old she's hot. I'm 20 so I can say that.
No, you can't say that if you're over 17. |
| 22nd October 2007 03:02 PM |
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| Brainbell Jangler |
quote:
Starbuck wrote:
Evidently, Bucky doesn't have 9 and 10 year old daughters. |
| 22nd October 2007 03:22 PM |
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| robpop |
 |
| 22nd October 2007 03:25 PM |
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| robpop |
quote:
robpop wrote:
I can quote myself also!!!! |
| 22nd October 2007 04:09 PM |
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| Larry Craig |
quote:
Starbuck wrote:
I was never here. |
| 23rd October 2007 01:46 PM |
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| bilsim |
I wonder what Bill Wyman would have to say about her? |
| 23rd October 2007 01:55 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Maybe she's the next Christina Aguilera. Uncle Walt did always have an eye for talent.
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| 23rd October 2007 02:06 PM |
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| gypsy |
quote:
Brainbell Jangler wrote:
Evidently, Bucky doesn't have 9 and 10 year old daughters.
True. Plus, he's so homophobic, he's afraid to touch himself.
My three-year-old niece loves Hannah Montana, and I must admit that I like a few of her songs myself. |
| 23rd October 2007 02:09 PM |
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| pdog |
So she's hot? |
| 23rd October 2007 02:19 PM |
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| Lil Brian |
Joey, did you know she's at the Qwest Center tonight? The little ones around here are psyched! |
| 23rd October 2007 02:26 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
Lil Brian wrote:
Joey, did you know she's at the Qwest Center tonight? The little ones around here are psyched!
Bread and Circus. |
| 23rd October 2007 02:36 PM |
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| mrhipfl |
quote:
pdog wrote:
So she's hot?
she's fourteen....
yes. |
| 23rd October 2007 03:10 PM |
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| Lil Brian |
quote:
Ten Thousand Motels wrote:Bread and Circus.
An excellent Durutti Column record from the 1980's. Anybody else here know Vinny Riley? |
| 23rd October 2007 03:15 PM |
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| Joey |
Hannah performs this evening at THE QWEST CENTER !!!!!!
www.QWESTCENTER.com
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| 23rd October 2007 03:16 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
Lil Brian wrote:
Joey, did you know she's at the Qwest Center tonight? The little ones around here are psyched!
Lil' Bri ..........
I just saw your post .
See you at THE QWEST CENTER on Friday .
J. Fly ! |
| 23rd October 2007 03:22 PM |
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| Le chef |
Screw Hannah Montana! The real news is in Trafalgar Square where Londoners are now at the mercy of animatronic Jason Taylor!!!!
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| 23rd October 2007 03:37 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
Le chef wrote:
Screw Hannah Montana! The real news is in Trafalgar Square where Londoners are now at the mercy of animatronic Jason Taylor!!!!
This makes Joey scared . |
| 23rd October 2007 04:00 PM |
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| pdog |
Joey got tickets...Yay!
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| 23rd October 2007 04:15 PM |
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| Lil Brian |
quote:
Joey wrote: See you at THE QWEST CENTER on Friday .
J. Fly !
Looking forward to it. Where's the pre-party? |
| 23rd October 2007 05:06 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
Lil Brian wrote:
Looking forward to it. Where's the pre-party?
Mr . Toads ( 10th & Howard )
Hell , it is also the " AFTER PARTY " !!!!!!!
Martha & Chris shall be in attendance and you too , my Stonesian Brother , SHALL be greeted .
Jacky ! |
| 23rd October 2007 05:20 PM |
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| glencar |
Bringing the fingerlight, goofy? |
| 23rd October 2007 05:24 PM |
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| Lil Brian |
Mr. Toads it is! |
| 23rd October 2007 05:34 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
glencar wrote:
Bringing the fingerlight, goofy?
You Bet your Sweet Bippy !!!!!! |
| 23rd October 2007 05:38 PM |
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| glencar |
And please wear a body condom. I like some of those people yer meeting! |
