Free concert tickets still available through Ticketmaster

RALEIGH, North Carolina (WTVD) -- Looking to go to some concerts this summer? You may have free tickets and not even know it.

In June 2016 music fans were thrilled to suddenly discover Ticketmaster issuing vouchers for free concert tickets. The ticket giveaway was part of a class-action lawsuit settlement, and it was like a dream come true for concert fans just as the summer concert season was kicking into full gear.

However, the excitement quickly turned into frustration when fans tried to redeem the vouchers. Few voucher eligible shows were available, and the top tier concerts on the list quickly sold out of their supply of free tickets.

Fans also ran into "errors" and had difficulty redeeming the vouchers on Ticketmaster's website. Soon many fans gave up and forgot about the vouchers.

The free ticket and discount ticket vouchers are valid until June 18, 2020, and this summer, Ticketmaster released more voucher tickets for concerts in venues managed by Live Nation (which owns Ticketmaster).

One of those venues is Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek in Raleigh.

Since many fans have forgotten they have vouchers, the free tickets are not disappearing like they did in the summer of 2016.

Last night's Journey show was one in which fans could get free general admission lawn seats. Other upcoming shows include Foreigner/Cheap Trick and Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience on August 6. The Matchbox 20/Counting Crows show on August 22 is also on the free ticket list as is the Brantley Gilbert concert on September 23.

Live Nation also manages The Ritz in Raleigh, so free ticket vouchers may also appear for this venue. However, of the 28 shows currently listed on The Ritz's website, free tickets are only available for The Magpie Salute on August 16.

Under the lawsuit settlement, Ticketmaster has to pay out $42 million over four years. In the summer of 2016, it released $10 million in free tickets and another $10 million in 2017.

The amount for the final two years depends on how many people cash in their $2.50 discount ticket vouchers or their $5 discount toward UPS delivery.

How do I know if I have any vouchers?

Vouchers were issued to anyone who placed ticket orders from the Ticketmaster website October 21, 1999, through February 27, 2013. Depending on how many tickets you ordered during their time period you can have from one to 17 free ticket vouchers. To see how many vouchers you have, sign on to your Ticketmaster account, then at the top of the page where you see your name, click on "your account." On the left side of the screen, you'll see "my account," look at the bottom of the list and you'll see "vouchers," with "active vouchers" underneath it. Click on the "active vouchers" and after once again putting in your Ticketmaster password you will see the list of vouchers available to you.

How do I know what concerts are voucher eligible?

At the bottom of every ticket voucher, you will see a hyperlink that says "settlement.livenation". Click on that hyperlink and three options will appear, $5 UPS Discount Code, $2.25 Discount Code and Ticket Vouchers. Click on "view eligible events" under Ticket Vouchers and the page will scroll down to the available events. There is also a "select cities" drop-down menu that allows you to see what concerts are available in other cities around the country.

How do I redeem a voucher?

Each voucher is good for two general admission tickets. Click on the "redeem" button next to the concert. It will bring up the ticket delivery page. After you select how you want your tickets delivered, hit the "next" button. While there is a subtotal price listed, that will disappear when you check out and enter your voucher number. At this point, you'll have to use your Ticketmaster user ID and password to sign on to the Live Nation website. After you sign in, you'll see a box in which you can enter your voucher code. (Tip - Copy your voucher code when you're on that page so you don't have to backtrack) After you enter the code your tickets will be available to print.

If you have Ticketmaster vouchers, you can sign up for periodic email notifications when new eligible events are made available for potential ticket voucher redemption. Click here to sign up.