The best seats at WWE events often cost quite a bit of money. However, paying the exorbitant amount does not automatically guarantee a prime seat; this was found out the hard way by fans who attended WWE Raw tapings in Knoxville, Tennessee. Here’s the story.
WWE Moves Fans To Make The Arena Look Fuller
Every fan knows that the WWE can move people around for Raw or SmackDown tapings if the arena has not sold out. They strategically block off certain areas, and move fans around to make it seem like the arena is sold out. Apparently, this also happened for Monday Night Raw in Knoxville, Tennessee.
According to Ringside News, one of their readers fell victim to the move. The fan in question had purchased seats on the 17th row. This location is considered a prime location because it puts the ring on eye-level. And, it gives attendees a decent view of all the action. Unfortunately, the fan was moved by the WWE and placed 27 rows back. The location the fan had booked in the first place was tarped off completely.
Should This Be Allowed?
When you purchase a product or a service, it is only natural that you should get what you pay for. While I do understand that the WWE wants to make their arenas look full on television, I would be thoroughly upset if I got a bad seat after paying premium price.
The WWE needs to remember that the fan experience at their tapings will contribute to the fact whether they return to a taping or even watch in the future or not. The fact that there are empty seats points to problems for the WWE. If you do not attract the right amount of people in the first place, there are other things you can do to keep the area full without having to move fans.
Solutions To The Seating Problem
Instead of selling tickets on the 17th row from the beginning, why not keep those tickets back until all the other areas have been filled? They can do this for Raw or SmackDown, but also for pay-per-views. It ensures that fans are getting the seats they have paid for and want.
Another way to keep problems at bay is by making ticket prices exactly the same. Of course, priority seats gives the WWE their profit, so I don’t see this happening anytime soon. So, withholding tickets for seats that are not caught by television cameras until all the others are sold might be the better option here. While it does give fans fewer choices, it prevents problems with premium seats.
Personally, I would ask for a refund for the difference if I was moved to a different seat that I paid a higher price for. I don’t know if the fan in question received a refund of any kind, but I sincerely doubt it.
There are times the WWE gets away with things because it is a big and popular company. Fans will go through a lot to see their favorite superstars, even if they are seated in a seat of a lesser value.