We were going to use Ebid as a platform for selling our show tickets. We have done so before with other shows and never had a problem. I had originally, yonks back checked with ebid it was OK.
Until we do Les Mis.
We listed the tickets as usual.
Then they vanished from our shop. Not in closed listings or anything.
I complained to Ebid, had a symathetic response with no intimation there is any issue, and relisted them.
I have just run through the links again, to find they have all been taken down again. (again not in my closed listings)
Now what infuriates me, is that ebid were aware of this, because I had contacted them the first time. Now as a longterm established seller on ebid, surely if they had some question they could have contacted me first to check.
You only need to google The South Devon Players / Les Miserables to see us all over the net on a bazlillion theatre websites, events websites, local press, listing the show as well!
Our main website - linking back to ebid (or was, I have now taken the link down as if the last half hour) we are on Facebook and Twitter at sdevonplayers, we have been on BBC 1 TV, we have won awards, we are featured on a huge Broadway website, we are in contact with Hugh Jackman who has been very complimentary over photos and video clips of our show, and has asked for a DVD of the full performances later this month, and we are also registered members of the National Operatic And Dramatic Association. There are literally hundreds of cast photos, rehearsal videos wafting around the web. Everything is blatantly proveable.
And it cannot be co-incidence that our tickets have been taken down, again, in total. I would invite anyone who still doesnt believe, to step in the door on a sunday or Wednesday to see rehearsals, with me there, and the tickets in the box-office case, all there.
I really cannot express how furious and upset I am, especially having just directed several people to come and buy tickets from us, via Ebid, this afternoon, and was reccomending it to other theatre groups to use. I am very tempted to leave and certainly will not be reccomending it again to theatre groups for any reason at all.
I am working 18 hours a day, on top of everything else, to promote this show - as well as directing it. This is why these days I am less active on the forums.
The South Devon Players are a small amateur theatre group with a hell of an epic show that has cost me personally about 6 months wages that I had saved up as the group could not have funded Les Mis. Now that is done with pleasure, and all I have spent is a donation to the group - after all, I am one of the two co-founders. But to then have the show, the company, and the actors, all *****ed on, virtually behind my back in this manner is just dreadful.
(and it may seem an overreaction, but I am a bit of a tiger when it comes to standing up for my theatre group, and actors).