More ticket misery for
Reporter MORE fans of comedian Peter Kay have criticised the Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, over an ‘unfair’ system for buying disabled access tickets for his tour.
Claire Lund-Larsen tried to get tickets for herself and a carer on Sunday, the first day tickets went on sale, but was unable to get through to a dedicated accessibility line.
It follows similar complaints from Jordi Wafer, of Wallsend, who wanted tickets for her wheelchair-user mother Brenda.
Jordi said she waited for an hour to be connected to a special line for fans who needed easy access but the line went dead.
In the latest case Claire said the system does not give disabled people the same chance as able-bodied people of getting tickets for the event. Claire, of Newcastle, said she would have been able to buy ordinary tickets over the phone on Sunday but was not able to buy easy-access ones.
The only other way of getting tickets was to turn up in person at the box office – but the box office is not open on Sunday.
She said: “When I tried to buy tickets on Sunday, I was able to select tickets and get to the checkout no bother.
“However, to buy accessibility tickets was not allowed. There was an icon to click for accessibility tickets but this just brought up a message that Accessible Ticketing requests be solicited only through the Arena.
“Therefore, if you’re disabled, you have to either phone an 0844 number which is an expensive phone call (and was constantly engaged) or you have to go to the box office in person.
“One problem though – the box office is closed on Sundays! An event as large as Peter Kay will always sell out quickly, so I just don’t understand why the Arena feel their policy to purchase accessibility tickets is fair.
“I feel it is discriminatory, as why should I be forced to pay for an expensive phone call, when I could purchase non-accessibility tickets online but not tickets for easy access.
“Also, I cannot just go to the box office as I am disabled and I rely on my partner to go for me, however when the box office is open, he is at work.”
She said she felt the ticketing system was wrong.
“I feel let down by the Arena and don’t understand why tickets cannot have gone on sale on a date when their box office is open,” she said.
“I understand for an event as large as Peter Kay, it would probably be his management team who have decided the on-sale date. If this is the case, then why