Thousands entered a ballot to watch the Coronation Concert on May 7 (Picture: EPA)
Royal fans who entered a ballot to win free tickets to the Coronation Concert have hit out at Ticketmaster claiming they were misled.
Thousands have complained on social media about a message telling them they had been ‘successful in the ballot for a pair of standing tickets’ at Windsor Castle on May 7.
The email states tickets in the ‘supplementary round are being offered to a randomly selected group of ballot winners on a first come first served basis’, adding that they had until midday on April 27 to claim them.
But by the time they logged in to try and retrieve them, the tickets had already gone.
The email said recipients had been ‘successful in the ballot for a pair of standing tickets’ (Picture: Twitter/@CreativeSpot_)
Una Driscoll, from Staffordshire, said she was ‘livid’ after paying £150 for a hotel in time for the concert, only to find out that she could not get tickets.
The 50-year-old said: ‘It’s just absolute frustration, disappointment, and upset. I’m just absolutely shocked.’
Many others have posted about being ‘gutted’ and ‘livid’ with 19-year-old Sophie Boddington-Hucker calling the ‘misleading’ wording ‘criminal, nasty and manipulative’.
Ticketmaster was accused of being a ‘shambles’ after it later posted: ‘Tickets for the supplementary first-come, first-serve round of The Coronation Concert ballot have now sold out.
‘Enjoy it in your own way next month, whether it’s in Windsor or at home with friends!’
Many only realised they had not been successful when they tried to claim their tickets (Picture: Twitter/@CreativeSpot_)
Shane Andrews MBE, from Cardiff, told the company: ‘That’s not how you conduct a ballot. Shameful.
‘You shouldn’t have been awarded the contract if you can’t fulfil it properly. Got so many people’s hopes up with the way the email was worded!’
Ticketmaster said: ‘Everyone who was successful in the two main ballot rounds for the Coronation Concert was offered a guaranteed pair of tickets, provided they claimed them within three weeks.
‘Today, any unclaimed tickets were released on a first-come, first-served basis to those who had previously applied to the ballot (and were unsuccessful). These inevitably went very quickly.’
The concert event is one of the major highlights of King Charles III’s upcoming coronation weekend.
Take That, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry are among those set to be performing on the night, alongside pop star Freya Ridings, and classical and operatic legends Andrea Bocelli and Sir Bryn Terfel.
Some 10,000 tickets were distributed in 5,000 pairs through a ballot which was open from 7.00am, February 10, through to 11.59pm, February 28.
The Government website also advises against travelling to Windsor unless you have a ticket for the concert, as you will not be admitted, and there will be no ceremonial events in the area.
If you don’t have a ticket you can however watch the concert in St James’ Park, which will be airing it on a big screen.
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One person, who paid £150 for a hotel to attend the concert, said: ‘It’s just absolute frustration, disappointment, and upset.’
