New mobile tickets cause problems for concert goers without smartphones
An Ontario woman says she experienced a roadblock when trying to purchase concert tickets because she didn't have a smartphone.
When Brampton resident Debbie Ervine found out Elton John was coming to Toronto after cancelling previous appearances due to the pandemic she was excited to try and purchase tickets.
“I heard he was having a final tour and he would never be coming to Toronto again, so I thought this is my big chance to finally see him," Ervine said.
More venues are switching to mobile digital tickets to prevent hard copy tickets from being stolen or counterfeited. However, to get a mobile ticket you need to download it to a smartphone--and millions of Canadians including Ervine don’t have one.
According to Statistics Canada, about 90 per cent of Canadians over the age of 15 have a smartphone. For the 10 per cent who don’t, they could start to find it difficult to purchase tickets to certain events.
"I think they must realize that not every human being has a smartphone," Ervine said.
Ervine signed up for advance ticket sales and was elated to see she could buy two tickets for the concert, but even though she has a landline phone and a flip phone for emergencies, neither would allow her to purchase tickets.
“I can't believe I can't see Elton John because i don't have a smartphone," she said.
On the Ticketmaster website it explains how to use mobile tickets. You need to download the Ticketmaster app, locate your order, view your tickets and to get into the venue your phone will have a ticket barcode that will be scanned at the door.
When CTV News Toronto reached out to Ticketmaster to ask about Ervine’s situation, the company told us to contact the Rogers Centre when the Elton John concert is being held.
A Rogers spokesperson said “while mobile ticketing is now the primary means of ticket delivery at Rogers Centre, guests who require accommodations, including those without a smartphone, can contact the box office for assistance.”
Ervine’s friend who has a smartphone was able to buy her tickets, but the concert is September 7, 2022 and with the concert date so far away both said they'd feel more comfortable with hard copy tickets they could hold onto.
“What if you lose your phone? What if you lose the file? What if you lose the link you are supposed to send yourself? It just doesn't seem like the best option," Ervine said.
Ticketmaster says if you can't access your tickets because your phone battery dies or your phone is broken before the event, you'll have to go the venue's box office with proper identification for assistance to get in.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.