A year ago, U2 was out touring across the country but the nearest they were coming to ABQ was Denver. Since the concert was on a Saturday night, my sister-in-law and I decided to go. I bought two tickets on E-Bay just a few weeks before the concert. Then, Bono hurt his back and had to have surgery in Germany. They postponed the tour, saying that they would honor the tickets the next year, when the 360 Tour resumed. No problem- I had my tickets in hand, along with the purchase receipts from a woman living in Denver- NATACHA GILLIS.
When they announced the new tour dates, I was excited, again, they would be playing on a Saturday night, May 21. I already had my tickets, purchased from NATACHA GILLIS, on EBay last year. I heard that they were giving out refunds but, hey, I had the actual tickets and I trusted NATACHA GILLIS, that it was an honorable sale.
I did call TicketMaster to verify that the tickets were good but, without the last four numbers of the credit card used for the purchase, they wouldn't tell me. No problem, I trusted NATACHA GILLIS. After all, I had bought them on ebay and I still had the actual tickets, in hand, right?
But, I broke my ankle in April. I still wanted to go, only I knew I'd never be able to use the seats I bought, up in the nosebleed section just to the left of the signboard,as seen in the panorama shot of the Friday Foto. No matter, I was sure I'd be able to exchange them for handicapped seats because that's what I've been doing with my Broadway play season's tickets. I've gotten handicapped seating down front for Fiddler on the Roof, Grease, and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (Ode to Joy), usually stage left or right but not bad seats.
So, my sister-in-law and I packed and left Friday afternoon after an abbrievated workday. I was glad to be in a boot instead of the splint, because, although I cannot put weight down on my bad foot yet, I can at least balance on it, at times. It really helped making those pit stops along the way, to just hop to the bathroom, and not go wheelchair. We decided to drive all the way to Denver on Friday night, around 444 miles. Everyone tells me it takes about 6 1/2 to 7 hours but I always get there closer to 8, or more hours. We did drive around Trinidad for about an hour, taking pictures and seeing the town, but it's just not any fun driving if you don't stop along the way to see things. We got to the hotel around 10:30. Whew, long day!
In the morning, we arranged to meet up with her old school friend and then the three of us went straight to Invesco Field to find out about exchanging the tickets. Her friend didn't have a ticket and so we were discussing options. I told them that I would be willing for them to sit together and me sit alone if we had to go that route. I think he had pretty much decided not to go.
They left me in the car because it's a loooooooong walk to the ticket window from the parking lot but I enjoyed looking around and taking pictures. It's amazing what you can find to take photos of when you have a camera with a good zoom.
I guess you can tell from my post title that the ticket exchange didn't go so well. Nope- we found out that NATACHA GILLIS SCREWED ME OVER!!
SHE GOT HER TICKET REFUND LAST JUNE! NEVER MIND THAT I HAD JUST BOUGHT THE TICKETS FROM HER A MONTH EARLIER!!
So much for my optimism about NATACHA GILLIS being an honest person.
The box office cashier took our fraudulent tickets from us but, fortunately, we could purchase three tickets together- in the handicapped seating. SWEET! The ticket seller said he was going to be sitting in that section too. And, the tickets cost less than my original purchase! At least, we'd all get to sit together now and the seats were at stage level too. After such a long pilgrimage, we really had no choice but to purchase more tickets, right?
However, I think it's really unfair for TICKETBASTRDs to offer refunds to the original ticket purchaser when there is such a large secondary resale market on tickets. Shouldn't the tickets be presented for the refund?? AND I think NATACHA GILLIS is a THIEF!!!!!!!!
It is my hope that somehow, in the internet world, word gets around at how dishonest NATACHA GILLIS is. I am a firm believer of what goes around comes around- some day she will get hers. Or she can contact me and pay me back what she stole from me.
To be continued...
8 comments:
Wow!
What a crappy thing for NG to do.
Thank goodness you guys got tickets though.
Hope the concert was good.
I am minded to acknowledge the fact, that you do not beat around the bush!!........Good for you.
That was pretty poor behavior on her part. But that's how people are, I wouldn't count on you getting your money from this person. If she wanted to give it to you you'd already have it. Glad you got seats though.
Glad you got to go to the concert at least! You're right about that person - they'll get theirs someday. Most people seem to be honest, but there's always a few bad eggs.
What a rotten stunt!!!! Glad you got to go after all.
Hey, if she googles her own name, she will learn quickly that she is a thief! Sweet revenge. Glad it worked out for you in the end, but that dang Natacha Gillis is a thief!
I have just discovered your blog VALERIE KOKENGE and I find it somewhat sad that a person who seems to be intelligent would make such a libelous statement about somebody before getting the facts.
I'm the person who sold you those tickets on Ebay. My sister had 4 tickets, but decided to re-sell 2 of them since the people who were supposed to go could not make it, and those tickets were sold for less than what she had paid initially, with the fees and such. so you VALERIE KOKENGE, saved money.
It's not her fault if the show was canceled/postponed and you did hurt your leg. I also find it sad that you DID NOT try to contact me/us at anytime, if you had concerns about the tickets, so how could we've known something was wrong? Also for your information, she DID NOT get a refund on your tickets! I just spoke to her, having discovered your libelous comments in your blog, and she has confirmed to me she only got a refund on 2 out of the original 4 tickets she had (the show being postponed, she could not make it anymore so got a refund on HER 2 tickets). Obviously, she was not going to get a refund on something she had sold and did not have in her possession anymore! So, I don't know what this cashier actually told you at the box office, apparently there had to be some sort of mix up, but obviously the information they told you was not the reality! Your original tickets were NEVER refunded, she NEVER got money back from those and what you've said here has made her really angry and sad when she discovered it. It was you who made the error buying another set of tickets, while the one you had were perfectly fine!
And it was you VALERIE KOKENGE who has made the error of slandering my sister with incorrect statements. My sister is an honest person, she never tried to con you and you should be ashamed of yourself.
It is too late to correct the error you have transmitted on internet via your blog. However, I would expect you to remove the incorrect statements you have contributed towards my sister and if you where decent even put an apology to her in your blog, as well as writing to the people who wrote on your blog about your error in judgement if you have their email.
And in a statement to all people who make comments on erroneous blogs, before making a comment, think twice, make sure the facts are correct as there are always two sides to every story. You unwittingly make yourself guilty as well as the original blogger in propagating incorrect stories.
Check this link:
http://valerie-kokenge-the-slanderer.blogspot.com/2011/07/shame-on-you-valerie-kokenge-my-sister.html
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