Iloveallaccess.com Earth, Wind, And Fire EWF Bait and Switch Promised Tickets and Never Received cheats dishonorable unethical untrustworthy sham bad service Internet
I ordered tickets for a concert by Earth, Wind, and Fire this summer. I was offered through the band's myspace page a premium ticket package that included a photo op with the band before the show, seating in the first ten rows, and backstage passes. It was $500.00 for two tickets. I purchased the package as I grew up listening to this band and thought it was a good deal.
After I ordered the package I received an email saying the photo op wasn't going to happen because of a scheduling conflict. I was told that I could receive just tickets only at face value ($65.00 a piece) and keep the same seats or downgrade to a four-star package and receive a free gift. The four-star package was $250.00.
This didn't sound as exciting to me so I wrote them back saying I would take just the tickets only.
They wrote me back asking if I got their follow-up email that said if I selected the four-star package I would get backstage passes for after the show. I had never been backstage at a concert and thought it would be cool to see all the work and effort that went into something like that, I'm a bit geeky that way. I wrote them back saying that if that was the case the four-star package would be fine.
They wrote me back saying I could pick up everything at the will call window, and that they had processed the credit for $250.00. I checked with American Express and saw that they had. So far, so good.
I went to the will call window the night of the show and picked up the package. There were no backstage passes in it. The free gifts were stupid key chains with the EWF and "I Love All Access" logos on them - marketing materials for them, in short. I asked the event staff about the backstage passes, no one seemed to know. I decided to go ahead and enjoy the show, and follow up with "I Love All Access" afterwards, sure that they would work things out and make it right.
I emailed them a few days after the show. It took them about 7 days to respond. When they did they said that I got to keep my seats in the first ten rows and I got the stupid keychain, and that was what was in the four-star package. They said I should have called them the night of the show.
Nevermind the fact that they said I would keep my seats in the first ten rows even if I selected tickets-only like I had wanted to at first when the band changed schedules. Nevermind the fact that they didn't provide any emergency contact numbers until after the show was over. This is just bad treatment. Two keychains are NOT worth $120.00.
I immediately put the balance of the charge in dispute with American Express. We are now fighting it out. I have no problems paying the face value of the tickets, but there's no way you can convince me that two keychains are worth $120.00.
If they hadn't said I would get backstage passes I would have selected tickets only and been done with it, and probably would have done business with them again. Now I'll never use them for anything.
I Love All Access is a deceitful company that cannot be trusted. I have a complete email trail that I'll be providing American Express. I'm not a big complainer - if you're fair with me I'm fair with you. I've maybe filed two disputes with American Express in my 8 years as a cardholder, and one of those disputes was to say that I had been given a credit that I wasn't due!
If you feel like wasting your money and patronizing a company that is greedy and doesn't respond to customer complaints with more than a brush-off, then iloveallaccess.com is for you. It's only $120.00, but I don't waste my money by giving it to slimey merchants.
Rick
Bear, Delaware
U.S.A.
5 Updates & Rebuttals
Rick
Bear,Delaware,
U.S.A.
I Love All Access Nonsense and Misrepresentations
#6Author of original report
Thu, October 19, 2006
This response is hogwash:
1. Employee states that a representative there at the concert could have helped. I love their selective memory - if they'll recall the lengthy email thread they would see how I patiently informed them that I did speak to the box office staff and no one had any information nor could they assist.
2. No emergency contact was ever provided for this particular show, and I have a complete record of all correspondence sent and received. I did attempt their "regular" phone number the night of the concert and was put into a call queue. 30 minutes later the show was starting, I was still on hold. Rather than miss the show I thought I should at least get my money's worth for the tickets so hung up so I could watch the show.
3. Due to my work schedule I could not call for a few days, this is true - however the two weeks this employee states is an outright lie. I attempted to contact them four days after the show. It took them over one week to respond, and of course they refused to honor their commitments.
The timing is irrelevant. I feel like I could have called the next day and they would have the same song and dance. They make it sound as if there was nothing they could do. Hogwash again - there's this little thing called a credit that can be issued.
I filed a dispute with American Express under the Fair Credit Billing Act for non-receipt of goods/services. Through their assistance I was able to obtain the credit. Their initial reasoning to American Express (that I took too long) was of course different than the reason they provided me (that I got what I paid for, the backstage passes weren't really part of the package, even though the only reason I changed my order to that package was because they emailed me back to say that they were in case I wanted to change my mind). The excuses and reasons just keep coming and coming from this outfit, and every single time it's a different story.
So the end result was through my credit card company I obtained the credit of $120.00 I was seeking, "I Love All Access" probably spent nearly that much if not more in labor costs responding to my complaint, responding to American Express, and responding to this article, and I will never do business with them again. I've advised all my friends and colleagues to do the same.
Had they just issued the credit they would have had a customer for life. If I had to do it all over again, even if I didn't get the credit it would still be worth it just to run up their costs. It's funny how for-profit companies make ridiculous decisions, end up losing money in labor that they could have avoided, and end up losing goodwill among other intangibles by refusing to consider customer satisfaction a priority.
I Love
Los Angeles,California,
U.S.A.
Response
#6UPDATE Employee
Wed, October 18, 2006
We are sorry your experience did not meet your satisfaction. We do provide emergency contacts to our customers before, during and after the shows in case a rare situation like this arises. If you did not have the emergency number, a representative for ILAA or Earth Wind and Fire at the show would have been able to address the situation and make sure you were able to get your backstage passes. As you didn't contact us until two weeks after the show, we could not do anything about a backstage pass after the fact.
I Love
Los Angeles,California,
U.S.A.
Response
#6UPDATE Employee
Wed, October 18, 2006
We are sorry your experience did not meet your satisfaction. We do provide emergency contacts to our customers before, during and after the shows in case a rare situation like this arises. If you did not have the emergency number, a representative for ILAA or Earth Wind and Fire at the show would have been able to address the situation and make sure you were able to get your backstage passes. As you didn't contact us until two weeks after the show, we could not do anything about a backstage pass after the fact.
I Love
Los Angeles,California,
U.S.A.
Response
#6UPDATE Employee
Wed, October 18, 2006
We are sorry your experience did not meet your satisfaction. We do provide emergency contacts to our customers before, during and after the shows in case a rare situation like this arises. If you did not have the emergency number, a representative for ILAA or Earth Wind and Fire at the show would have been able to address the situation and make sure you were able to get your backstage passes. As you didn't contact us until two weeks after the show, we could not do anything about a backstage pass after the fact.
I Love
Los Angeles,California,
U.S.A.
Response
#6UPDATE Employee
Wed, October 18, 2006
We are sorry your experience did not meet your satisfaction. We do provide emergency contacts to our customers before, during and after the shows in case a rare situation like this arises. If you did not have the emergency number, a representative for ILAA or Earth Wind and Fire at the show would have been able to address the situation and make sure you were able to get your backstage passes. As you didn't contact us until two weeks after the show, we could not do anything about a backstage pass after the fact.