Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has received dozens of complaints over a printing error on British rock band Coldplay’s concert tickets following the ticketing platform’s announcement that the misprinted tickets have been voided.
The Consumer Council told HKFP on Sunday that as of 11pm Saturday, it had received 25 complaints over the invalid tickets. It also urged affected ticket holders to file a complaint along with proof of their transaction.
Coldplay is scheduled to perform for four nights at the Kai Tak Sports Park in the second week of April.
According to screenshots of an email from Cityline circulating on social media, the ticket platform told customers that a number of HK$1,399 standing tickets were voided due to “discrepancies” in printing.
Ticket holders said the words “VIP-FLORIS” were printed on the invalid tickets – apparently indicating that they had been assigned the wrong ticket category.
According to concert organiser Live Nation’s website, one category called the Floris Early Entry Experience, priced at HK$2,799, includes one standing ticket and other perks, such as early entry to the pitch, a Coldplay gift item, and a Coldplay wristband.
In a statement published on its website and on Instagram, Cityline said: “Regarding the inaccurate information printed on the [Coldplay concerts’] HK$1,399 standing tickets, the ticketing platform Cityline has apologized for the incident and is arranging for ticket holders to exchange their tickets.”
On Saturday, Cityline also issued an apology in AI-generated videos in both English and Cantonese, posted on Instagram. It said it would open ticket exchange locations in Hong Kong and mainland China, as well as give a full refund of HK$150 ticket handling fees to affected customers.
According to the ticketing platform, misprinted tickets can be exchanged in Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen from Monday to April 7, while on-site service counters will be available during show dates. It is also looking into providing ticket exchanges via courier.
The ticketing platform did not provide any reason for the misprint, however. HKFP has reached out for comment.
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said on Saturday that it was “highly concerned” about the ticketing errors and that it had urged Cityline to “handle [the situation] swiftly and properly, to ensure that the experience of ticket holders would not be affected.”
In mid-February, the Consumer Council received complaints involving ticketing errors for the much-anticipated performance of K-pop girl group NJZ, formerly known as NewJeans, which left fans with the wrong dates on their passes.
