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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.