HOUSTON – What was meant to be a night of fun and music ended with one family shelling out $900 after concert tickets they bought on an online ticket agency didn’t work.
Jennifer Simpson of Brookshire bought three tickets to a Pentatonix concert at the Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land for her 13-year-old daughter, Kiera’s birthday. She says went to the website TicketOffices.com and bought three tickets for $162 each, paying a total of $634.
"It was a complete splurge for my family, but it’s my daughter’s 13th birthday and it was a big deal”, Simpson said.
When Simpson, her husband and her daughter arrived at the box office to pick up the tickets, they were told there were no tickets waiting in their name.
“So, I get to the window at the Smart Financial Center and they have no idea what’s going on. They look at me like, no these seats are in somebody else’s name”, Jennifer said.
To not ruin the night completely, Jennifer ended up buying two tickets at the door so she and Kiera could attend. Her husband waited outside and missed the show. Kiera and Jennifer also had to sit apart.
“I think they are just mean. Like who would just ruin someone’s day like this”, Kiera said.
Both Kiera and her mother say the company ruined what was supposed to be Kiera’s birthday celebration.
Leah Napoliello with the Houston Better Business Bureau says the online ticket agency has had a pattern of customer disappointment.
“The business has had 196 complaints filed with the BBB over the last three years”, Napoliello said. “Complaints where people say they are not getting the tickets. Sometimes they purchase the tickets and they go to the venue and those tickets are not available to them”, Napoliello says.
KPRC 2 tried to contact officials with Chicago-based Ticket Offices but was unsuccessful.
The Better Business Bureau in Chicago told KPRC 2 the company has responded and answered the customer complaints and made changes to its website. As of Monday, the company holds an A+ rating with the BBB.
