Nevile Root, 20, was due to see the two brothers perform at their third night at Heaton Park on Wednesday (July 16) along with his girlfriend
A die-hard Oasis fan has been left gutted after the £700 he shelled out for gig tickets turned out to be “essentially spent on thin air”. Nevile Root, 20, had been eagerly awaiting the chance to see the Gallagher brothers perform at their third night at Heaton Park on Wednesday (July 16), alongside his girlfriend.
A true devotee, Nevile has seen Noel and Liam Gallagher perform solo numerous times over the years and declared that “money was no object” when it came to the rare opportunity to witness the band’s reunion after so many years.
However, the thrill quickly evaporated when he discovered that the two tickets he’d purchased via resale site Twickets had actually been sold to another punter through Ticketmaster’s resale option – a whole seven months prior.
The couple, who had taken the day off work and were looking forward to making the trip from Preston to Manchester for the much-anticipated concert, were hit with the devastating news on the morning of the show. Left with no other choice, they had to skip the gig and ask for a refund.
Including booking fees, they were out of pocket by £724.
The original ticket seller, based in Australia, had secured two tickets before the band announced their additional world tour dates, which include gigs in Sydney and Melbourne later this year.
Chatting with the MEN, Bolton-born Neville shared his eagerness for the Oasis reunion, saying: “Having looked forward to a potential reunion for many years, I was desperate to get hold of two tickets. I’ve seen Liam and Noel’s solo projects several times so was dismayed that I’d missed out on both the presale opportunity and also tickets in the general sale.”
He continued, recounting his determination: “I persevered and followed the guidance to use the only ‘official’ resale site, Twickets. I was made up when I managed to secure two tickets in early January to see them in Heaton Park.”
Neville didn’t hesitate despite the cost: “For me, this was the one gig where money was no object. But over £700 is a whole month’s rent. It’s more money than most 20-year-olds can spare on gig tickets, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity.”
He detailed his interaction with the seller: “I emailed back and forth with the seller, a man from Australia, who had bought the Manchester tickets prior to the announcement of the Australian leg of the tour. No alarm bells rang, and he forwarded me all the confirmation emails from the original ticket purchase.”
Time passed before Neville reached out again to the ticket seller, who informed him that Ticketmaster app transfers would only be possible shortly before the event, typically between 48 and 24 hours prior to the concert.
It wasn’t until Wednesday morning – the day of the gig – that the vendor dropped the bombshell on Neville that his tickets were flagged as “sold” on the Ticketmaster app, revealing he’d flogged the same pair on both platforms in clear breach of Twickets’ rules.
Twickets responded with an apology: “I am sorry to hear what has happened. If the tickets appear as ‘sold’ in [the seller’s] Ticketmaster account, than that would indicate that they have also listed and sold them on Ticketmaster resale, in contravention of the terms and conditions of our site unfortunately.”
The company had no choice but to cancel the transaction and offer a complete refund: “We therefore have no alternative but to withdraw the sale and issue you with a full refund, which should show on your card account in the next 2-3 working days.”
Neville expressed his devastation at missing out on the concert: “The most frustrating thing now is just not being able to go. On one hand, I haven’t lost out financially but it’s the fact that there isn’t much safeguarding in place and that sellers can do this.”
The betrayal stung even more given the timing: “They had already been sold in January but I didn’t find out until the day of the show. We are incredibly disappointed after making travel arrangements, booking annual leave and purchasing T-shirts in preparation for today only to be told the morning of the event that we wouldn’t be able to go.”
Neville felt utterly deceived by the whole ordeal: “I feel as though we have been led down the garden path with having instruction to be patient and purchase resale tickets only to then to find these weren’t legitimate to begin with.
“I’ve essentially spent over £700 on thin air, and left with no chance of sorting it now because it’s all so last minute. Had I have known months ago, I may have had a chance. This wasn’t just like buying a ticket for a band who comes round every year, this was a big deal.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
