Elton John fans find their seats gone

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TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 17 (UPI) -- University of South Florida Sun Dome officials said they are considering refunds for some Elton John fans who arrived to find their seats did not exist.

Venue organizers at the Tampa facility said about 30 people arrived for the Friday night concert to find their seats in Section 204 had been eliminated as part of renovations done in the winter, the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times reported Monday.

The officials said the eliminated rows did not pose a problem at previous events, but the Elton John concert involved a larger-than-usual crowd.

"Any time you have 10,000 people in a building for a show like that, there's going to be some customer service issues," Trent Merritt, general manager at the Sun Dome.

Christine Murphy, 48, who paid $315.35 for her tickets, said she was offered replacement seats and was angered to discover they were so far from the stage she could not see the performer at all.

"I paid a lot of money to see Elton John. I could have put on a CD to hear him," she said.

Merritt said officials are considering refunds.