Usually when a concert is postponed, it moves to a later date. But not in this case, it moved to an earlier date. That meant heartbreak for a Santa Clara viewer who came to me for help.
Scott Fielder of Santa Clara is a lifelong fan of country music singer Merle Haggard.
"Him and Waylon Jennings," Fielder said. "Their stories, you know, kind of the outlaw country singers."
One regret? Watching Haggard on YouTube may be the only way Fielder will ever get to see the country legend in concert.
"His band started playing and then it started pouring," Fielder said.
He missed not one chance to see the iconic musician, but two. He went to a concert back in 1982, but it was rained out before Haggard got on stage. Then last year Fielder bought tickets to see him in San Francisco.
"I found tickets early and I bought 'em and was ready for it," Fielder said.
However, on the day of the show, Fielder went online and found the concert had been postponed for four months, to September 24.
"And so, disappointed, but still eager to go," Fielder said.
He waited all those months and a week before the show, he went online again to check the status, then the blow.
"The show had actually played the day before!" Fielder exclaimed.
He found out the concert had been pushed ahead by one week. Merle Haggard had already played the night before, and Fielder missed the show.
"And once again, I was not notified," he said. "So again I contacted the ticket agency."
Fielder had purchased the tickets at AXS.com, which is part of Golden Voice and AEG Live Promotions.
"They tried to tell me that they had notified me," Fielder said, "And I explained to them that they hadn't."
Fielder says he was told he should have received an email about the change, but he says he didn't. It was especially disappointing because he says the 76-year-old Haggard might not be performing much longer.
"Yeah it was pretty much a letdown you know because I'm not getting any younger and he's not certainly getting any younger," Fielder said.
On top of that, Fielder said he couldn't get a refund. He contacted 7 On Your Side and we contacted Golden Voice. A ticket manager tells us the company did refund money to Fielder's credit card, but the account had been cancelled. After our calls, Golden Voice mailed him a refund of $182 and offered two free tickets to an upcoming show.
"Thanks to 7 On Your Side," Fielder said. "You guys just really kept after it."
Now everything would be perfect, he says, if only Merle would come back.
"That'd be awesome if that really happened, it really would be," Fielder said.
The Golden Voice ticket manager tells us the company does attempt to email ticket holders when there are changes of dates or venues, but customers should always check for updates online. The company did not provide further comment for this story but we do want to thank them for the refund and for the two additional tickets.
