BOSTON -- Taking in a concert by the celebrated Boston POPS is a wonderful holiday tradition for many.

However, NewsCenter 5's Susan Wornick reported Friday that one local man is claiming he’s the victim of a bait and switch after buying tickets for a performance that the star conductor won't be conducting.

"You know, he really makes it an event," Stephen Ford said.

That's why last September, Ford checked the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s holiday schedule and bought four floor tickets to see Keith Lockhart conduct the Boston POPS on Dec. 12.

"We paid $92 each to bring my two children to the POPS for Saturday night. We figured we'd go out to dinner in Boston and then go to the show and really make it a special event for the family," Ford said.

But two months after getting the tickets, Ford discovered last week that Lockhart won't be there.

"I got a call from a friend of mine who knew I was going and said, 'I just saw that in Lowell they're having Keith Lockhart and the Boston POPS,'" Ford said.

When Ford called Symphony Hall they confirmed what he heard. The Lowell performance is one of five Lockhart is doing this season not at Symphony Hall. There will be a guest conductor in Boston on Dec. 12.

"There wasn't anybody who purchased tickets from September to November who had any idea that Keith Lockhart would not be the conductor. He's on every picture," Ford said.

The BSO wouldn't talk on camera but in a statement said, "At no point did we intentionally try to confuse our patrons."

But they acknowledged, "When tickets go on sale to the general public in September many of the program details are not yet confirmed, including the conductor schedule for the season." They offer refunds and tried to find another show for Ford, but at this late date, Saturday nights are all sold out.

After NewsCenter 5's calls, the BSO changed their Web site so now it's clear who's conducting next week but Ford said he thinks they need to be more careful about pre-season sales.

"There's going to be 1,000 people there that night who are going to be very disappointed," Ford said.