By admin 
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is seeking answers from Ticketmaster after Carolina Hurricanes season ticket holders reported technical issues during Stanley Cup Final ticket sales that prevented them from purchasing tickets before they sold out.
Read more New video shows moments before NC jail escape; $40K reward being offered
In a letter sent Thursday, Jackson said his office had received complaints from Hurricanes fans who reported being pushed to the back of Ticketmaster’s virtual queue despite having presale access codes that were supposed to give them priority access to tickets. Many fans later found primary-market tickets had sold out by the time they reached the front of the line.
“Season ticket holders did everything right,” Jackson said in a statement. “They had the codes, they showed up on time, and the system left them in line for hours and without tickets. Ticketmaster’s got one week to respond to our questions.”
According to Jackson’s office, some affected fans were left with only one option: buying tickets on the resale market, where some seats were listed for thousands of dollars.
Jackson’s letter asks Ticketmaster to explain how many reports of technical failures it received during the Hurricanes presale and what the company found after investigating those complaints. He also requested information about whether affected season ticket holders were compensated, how many tickets were made available to eligible season ticket holders and why many fans were unable to purchase tickets through the primary market.
The attorney general wants to know about Ticketmaster’s efforts to monitor the sale for bots and other bad actors, as well as what actions the company took when suspicious activity was detected.
Jackson gave Ticketmaster seven days to respond to the questions and provide supporting documentation.
Read more Lawmakers press NC county leaders over ‘avoidable’ death of 6-year-old
The inquiry comes as Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, face ongoing legal scrutiny. In April, a federal jury found the companies liable on antitrust claims that they illegally monopolized primary ticketing and large amphitheater markets and overcharged fans for years.
North Carolina was among dozens of states, along with the District of Columbia, that continued pursuing the case after splitting from a U.S. Department of Justice settlement earlier this year. The case is now in the remedies phase, where the court will determine what actions Live Nation and Ticketmaster must take to restore competition.
“Ticketmaster controls a huge part of how tickets get sold,” Jackson said. “If it wants to collect the fees, it can answer the questions.”
Hurricanes fans who experienced problems purchasing Stanley Cup Final tickets can file a complaint with the North Carolina Department of Justice.
Jackson’s office also issued a scam alert warning fans to be cautious when purchasing tickets through resale marketplaces, noting that fraudulent listings can leave consumers out thousands of dollars and without valid tickets to games.
Read more NC food forest captures attention of the United Nations