Fleetwood Mac Fan Club Fraud

Fleetwood Mac Fans Against Internet Fan Club Fraud:  Internet Press Release

Dateline: November 8, 2003

NEWS FLASH... THE DIRECTOR OF THE FLETWOOD MAC FAN CLUB REMOVED FOR JUST CAUSE.

THANKS FLEETWOOD MAC FOR CARING ABOUT YOUR FANS!

FAN COMPLAINTS LISTED BELOW WERE INVESTIGATED AND APPROPRIATE ACTION TAKEN.

IT PAYS TO FIGHT BACK IF YOU GET RIPPED OFF VIA THE INTERNET. JUST ASK FANS OF THE MAC.

Here's how it happened...


Fleetwood Mac Fans Against Internet Fan Club Fraud:  Internet Press Release

All media outlets are encouraged to investigate the controversy surrounding the Fleetwood Mac Fan Club
[created by Internet marketing guru, Jonathan Todd of  SabreMark Inc  ] The club is under fire from fans for allegedly conducting an online membership and ticket scam. Concerned fans ask you to review the Internet petition signed by over 350 people calling for an investigation of this Internet based club:  http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/FireJT/

See also MSNBC.com: Internet Fan Clubs:  http://www.msnbc.com/news/900077.asp?0ql=c9p&cp1=1

FLEETWOOD MAC:  "SAY YOU WILL" not CHEAT YOUR FANS. FIRE THE FAN CLUB DIRECTOR or CLOSE THE FAN CLUB.

History of the Fleetwood Mac Fan Club Controversy:

The director of this club claims a close friendship with band leader Mick Fleetwood. In the fall of 2002, with Mick's alleged cooperation, he created and began administering a web site for Mick and his fans to interact during the 2003 Say You Will tour. Mick's web site hosts an Internet message board Mick’s Chat  It was at this message board that the fan club fiasco began. After gaining the trust of Internet fans [by hosting an online chat between fans and  Mick Fleetwood] the fan club director used Mick's web site to entice and mislead fans about the benefits of joining a Fleetwood Mac fan club. He used Mick’s Chat as a marketing tool for this fan club. He's also used Mick’s web site to float other money-making schemes related to the band. Now, in addition to Mick's personal site, he also operates the band's Official Fleetwood Mac web site. This site is also used to sell fan club memberships.

How fans were misled about the Fan Club:

The fan club director masqueraded on Mick’s Chat as a character called “the Knight.” He used this alternate identity to post misleading messages to fans on the potential offerings of a yet to be established fan club. Through his messages and subsequent emails to fans, he made specific claims about the fan club which he never made good on. He used his dual role as fan club director and web site administrator to create a false impression with fans on the Internet of what the fan club would offer in return for high priced memberships. Operating as “the Knight,” he frequently posted self-serving hype filled messages about his connections to Mick and the band. Fans allege he also went a step further. Many believe he used “shills” and hand picked "fan operatives" he rewarded with perks to post positive phony messages on Mick's Chat about the fan club. In exchange for a $60 to $80 membership fee, “the Knight” claimed members would get to purchase some of the best tickets to upcoming Fleetwood Mac shows. Only a handful of people claim they've gotten great seats by joining the fan club. Furthermore, some of the so-called "happy" club members, who claim they got great seats, have since been identified as insiders with connections to the fan club director, concert promoters, or other associates of Fleetwood Mac.

****************** This kind of deception is unacceptable for devoted fans to allow in the name of Fleetwood Mac. **********************

        Key factors in the deception of fans

Many fans believe that:
      1)  The fan club director has a verified relationship with Mick Fleetwood
     2)  The fan club director traded on this connection at Mick's web site to gain a trusting audience for selling memberships
     3)  The fan club director communicated directly with fans at Mick's personal site for nearly 6 months BEFORE
          the band’s own “Official” web site appeared on the Internet
     4)  During those six months, the fan club director used Mick’s site as a marketing tool to lure fans into the fan club
          making false promises he now refuses to acknowledge and honor
     5)  The fan club director has the dual role of also being the web site administrator
     6)  Messages and emails containing false claims made by the club director were systematically deleted from Mick's Chat
     7)  Fans asking too many questions about the fan club were banned from using Mick's Chat  and had their messages deleted
     8)  The club director hides behind disclaimers posted “after the fact” at a newer Official Fleetwood Mac web site 
     9)  The new site was also created and is maintained by the same person:  the fan club director.
    10) The fan club director solicited positive comments about the fan club by offering perks such as web site positions and
           rehearsal tickets to receptive fans, while denying refunds to others claiming fraud and misrepresentation

In fan documented emails and messages written at Mick's Chat, the club director told fans that club members would be able to purchase seats in “THE BEST 20% OF THE FLOOR of concert venues by joining the fan club. He also made documented claims that if fan club seats sold out, members would get first chance to purchase tickets from ALL AREAS of the GENERAL PUBLIC SEATING. This never happened. Once he collected money for memberships, the director failed to fulfill these promises regarding ticket sales. Most members got nothing in return for their money. To add insult to injury, the club director refuses to explain why fan club members are consistently offered worse seats in club ticket sales than the general public who pay nothing extra for tickets. The fan club director's dealings appear convoluted behind the creation of multiple identities, two different Mac web sites, and  “after the fact” disclaimers about the fan club. Yet, no matter how hard they try, the fan club director and his operatives can't re-write history. TOO MANY fans saved the documents that paint a clear picture of the true unfolding of events at the fan club. The detailed disclaimers posted at the band's “Official site" appeared only AFTER angry fans began accusing the fan club of making false claims. The "Official site" displays a very different view of what fans were originally told about the club at Mick‘s Chat

The Fleetwood Mac web site, also created by the fan club director, displays REVISED club information in direct response to the fan cries of fraud. Disclaimers now at this site were NOT posted on Mick’s site when the club first began selling memberships. Despite frequent requests from fans, the club director refused to specify details about the club in the days before the band had it's own "Official Web site". When fans at Mick's Chat asked for specific details their messages were often deleted without explanation. Some fans were banned from the site after posting messages that questioned the operations of the fan club. The fan club director also acting as web site administrator displays serious conflicts of interest in the administration of the fan club. This club's Internet marketing practices certainly appear suspect in light of the alleged misrepresentations and the subsequent deleting of all questionable messages about the fan club. Nevertheless, many fans saved the misleading emails and messages of the club director before he deleted them from Mick's Chat. An archive of this information is available to anyone in the media, band management, or law enforcement investigating the fan club. In addition to misrepresentation of benefits, fans allege the misuse of club funds to provide perks for "shills" and "fan operatives" solicited to provide positive feedback on the club in the event of a detailed investigation. Possible insider trading of fan club tickets has also been uncovered. Many front row and close to stage tickets labeled "FAN CLUB" are suddenly appearing at secondary market sites like EBAY. These tickets were never offered to paying fan club members during club pre-sales. Fans want to know how and why the majority of fan club members were never offered quality seats, while ticket scalpers seem to have an ample supply of prime seats. Fans also demand to know the true identities of secondary market sellers of all tickets labeled "Fan Club."
More than 350 fans have signed an Internet Petition calling for an investigation to achieve the following:

1) a full disclosure of the relationship between the fan club director and all members of the band, Fleetwood Mac
 2) a full disclosure on the exact number of paid fan club memberships sold through both mickfleetwood.com and  fleetwoodmac.com  
 3) the exact number and location of “so-called” fan club seats supposedly only available to paying club members
 4) full disclosure of how and why nearly 1,000 prime fan club tickets were on sale at eBay minutes after the first
     club pre-sale failed to offer good seats to many known fan club members.
5) full disclosure of who actually got the best 20% floor seats claimed to be reserved for the fan club
 6) what connections, if any, do holders of prime fan club seats have to employees of the fan club, or any other band affiliates.
7) the removal of the fan club director along with anyone else associated with his Internet marketing company Sabre Mark Inc.
8) the end of fan club membership sales,  if memberships exceeds the number of available club tickets

Concerned fans have written, called, and faxed the band's individual managers since March 2003. They've asked repeatedly for an investigation of the fan club and for the removal of the fan club director. Fans expect management to disclose what the band knows of the fan club fiasco, and what they plan to do about it. For more information on the fan club, visit: http://ledge.fleetwoodmac.net/forumdisplay.php?s=c1c80d76cdedfc8959f7dac6ff6e219b&forumid=2


FLEETWOOD MAC

SAY YOU WILL not CHEAT YOUR FANS

FIRE THE FAN CLUB DIRECTOR
or
CLOSE THE FAN CLUB



If you or someone you know was ripped off by this, or any other online fan club, please file a complaint. These agencies will begin a formal investigation upon receiving at least 100 complaints. Please join the fight against Internet Fan Club Fraud!
Federal Trade Commission www.ftc.gov or you can call toll free 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.
For the Fleetwood Mac Fan Club, also file a complaint with the California Attorney General
You will need the following information to fill out the online forms:
CLUB DIRECTOR: JONATHAN TODD
SABRE MARK INC., FLEETWOOD MAC FAN CLUB
5737 KANAN RD. SUITE 237, AGOURA HILLS, CA 91301  Ph: 818-865-9993


You can also contact band management and request them to investigate and take action.

Individual Band Member Managers:

Lindsey Buckingham:
East End Management
Tony Dimitriades
12441 Ventura Ct.
Studio City, CA 91604-2417
office: 818.98.5060
fax : 818.985.5069

Stevie Nicks Mgment:
HK Management
Howard Kaufman
Sheryl Louis
9200 Sunset Blvd. Suite 530
LA, CA 90069
office: 310-550-5250
Fax: 310-550-5241

Mick Fleetwood & John McVie:
Artist Manager speaking on behalf of Fleetwood Mac
 Carl Stubner, Deluxe Management, President of Immortal Records Music Division
12750 Ventura Blvd #202, Studio City, CA 91604


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