$20 service fee on $80 tickets? This shit is getting out of hand

[edhopper]

I was trying to buy tickets for John Fogerty, but the less expensive tickets, $70 and $80 had a fee of $20 ea.!

Rich assholes don't care when they are paying $200+ for a concert, but a 25% fee. Ridiculous.

[DBoon]

1. back in the old days, there were these thigns called "anti-trust laws"

in the ancient days, when pensions were real

Event ticketing is a de-facto monopoly, hence the ridiculous service fees.

[edhopper]

2. And regulations in general.

[unblock]

3. i could buy $1,000,000 of LYV, ticketmaster's parent company, and the commission would be $7.

well, if i had a million dollars, anyway.


yeah, it's really hard not to see this as monopolistic pricing.

once upon a time, ticketmaster could argue that they provided a valuable service that was difficult for others to perform and they were the best, etc.

nowadays, there are tons of high school kids who can program well enough, any one of which could make a website that does what ticketmaster does in their spare time.

it's really hard to imagine how reasonable competition couldn't bring the pricing down to something like $2 for any concert ticket, at most. in fact, i wouldn't be surprised if proper competition got it down to more like $0.50 per ticket.

[Trenzalore]

4. I paid $12 on $38 a month ago.

Unless it is certain things I really want to see I avoid going mostly because of this gouging

[maveric]

5. I hav not been to a concert in years but I remember buying my tix at the venue in advance.

With NO service charge. That was Boston during the 70’s.

[edhopper]

10. If you can still get them.

In NYC concerts often sell out the first day.
And venues don't sell at the box office until a day after they are online.

[RobinA]

6. I've Turned Down

several opportunities recently to buy tickets because of this. I've also held back on buying things that I was otherwise ready to buy because of various fees and inflated delivery charges. I'm willing to pay reasonable fees for delivery, but I shouldn't have to pay you extra to put the damn thing in a box or, in the case of the tickets, an envelope fer Christ sake. Charge me a price and I'll decide whether to pay it. Don't insult me with all these bogus add-ons.

[edhopper]

11. What delivery?

it's mostly downloaded online or on your phone now.

[Iggo]

13. Fuck that. Hard copies or no deal.

Took us an hour to get into Iron Maiden at Glen Helen because we had to wait for the person who bought all the tickets, she had to show ID along with the credit card she used to buy the tickets and then we had to all walk in together. Since we had floor seats, there was a whole new problem since only one person had the ticket on their phone. So we all had to go up to Customer Service and get wristbands. Damn near missed the opening band. And if her phone had died while we were waiting in line, then what?

So yeah no, fuck that. I've been hard copies ever since, and it's hard copies the rest of the way for me or I ain't going.

[edhopper]

14. Me too,

I download the PDF and print it out.

Still it doesn't cost them anything and the fees are bullshit.

[jalan48]

7. Neil Young is playing in our town in May and tickets in front of the stage are $1239, each.

Gone are the days of Santana, Big Brother and Steve Miller playing on one bill for $3.50.

[Yavin4]

8. Do they ever explain what the actual fuck the fee is for?

Other than just giving some rich asshole more money? When I buy movie tickets online, I'm charged a fee. For what exactly? I'm not involving any labor.

[MichMan]

9. I try and think of it as a total "out the door" cost

Just like shipping charges from buying stuff on line. People get mad about paying shipping costs, but if the price is raised with "free" shipping they are much happier.

Just think that the tickets are $80 and $90 ea with no fee and it seems better for some reason.

[edhopper]

12. Then they should be listed as so.

Not after you are ready to check out.
I expect fees, but $20 on $60 tickets is absurd.

[Iggo]

18. I'm with you. I total up the whole thing.

My brain processes it the same way it does sales tax or, as you noted, shipping costs.

[sarcasmo]

15. I Youtube concerts now, added bonus no drunk adults.

[Codeine]

16. I've bought tickets multiple times with $20 service fees

and then Morrissey didn’t show. The refund does not include the service fee.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

17. And then there's the cost of parking, popcorn, drinks, maybe dinner before the show.

Good times ain't cheap.

[Iggo]

19. "Good times ain't cheap."

Ya got that right.