The "REAL" price of tickets.... :(

[Papa Deuce]

Paul Ridgers w/ Queen. Best seats still available $85. But then you add on $8.45 per ticket for "convenience charge", $2.00 Building service charge, and $2.50 ( the cheapest way ) to EMAIL YOU you seat confirmation?

So, that $85 ticket becomes a $96 ticket....

I can not believe they charge you to email you tickets. I'm sure that this is an automated function and costs them basically NOTHING, and saves them cash since they aren't paying as many people to sell tickets.

 

[Kramer]

Its called a monopoly and basically Ticketmaster can charge whatever they want. Its ridiculous and bands like Pearl Jam have boycotted Ticketmaster venues in the past and even testified before Congress about it, but nothing changed. They had to give in and start playing Ticketmaster venues again because there were very few other places available for them to play.

 

[crazyme5kids]

Well the ticket prices are set by the bands, management and the agents. Ticketmaster is a service and they have to make a profit just like anything else. In theory Pearl Jam did a great thing, but the reality when you think about it is very different.
It actually wound uo costing many fans money. Here's how. For the show at the Meadowlands, fans that wanted tickets had to go the the venue. So if the tickets went on sale Wed. for example, you would take time off from work (paid or unpaid). You would wait on line, however long. Now factor in gas, tolls and parking. So for me, I'd rather pay a service charge because my time is valuable to me and by the time I'd pay all the other expenses I wouldn't be saving anything.

 

[OhMari]

I heard Cold Play was coming to Milwaukee in March. Tickets went on sale last Sat. $85.

No thanks, I'd rather be in my home doing something and listening to Cold Play, then seeing them.

 

[mickman1962]

I stopped going to concerts when tickets went over $25, yes a long time ago

 

[F1Julie]

I really hate Ticketmaster, but have no other choice than to use them. I bought some tickets yesterday that were $26 a piece. 2 tickets ended up costing me $78 with all the fees. That is just crazy.

 

[ducklite]

Here's a good one--a radio promo. Tcckets were $.92. Ticketmaster charges and fees brought them up to $6+ each. How ridiculous is that?

Anne

 

[mariethecat]

The same thing is happening here in Canada and its not through Ticketmaster. I got 2 $40 tickets for a play last weekend that actually costs me $97 and that was just calling the theatre and putting my tickets on Visa which I picked up myself. I also got tickets for Stars on Ice and again paid in extra $10.00 in fees for ordering on line (again not Ticketmaster just their own ticket office).

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Welcome to the wonderful world of captialism!

 

[bicker]

Of course, this is precisely the type of capitalism that Ronald Reagan, especially, wanted to foster.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

If someone wants to compete with TicketMaster, they are certainly free to set up shop and offer similar services for a lower price. I am sure competition would be welcome by ticket buyers. If TicketMaster represents an illegal monopoly, they've been in business long enough for someone to sue them over that. Either way, I don't see any reason to complain about a successful business venture.

 

[chyam]

Well I agree that Ticketmaster is a service and should make some money I think they charge entirely to much!! And it must vary from place to place, my Bonjovi ticket for Tampa was $86.00 add all the charges and it was over $102.00 ....for 1 Ticket, come on multiply that by say 25000 seats and I would say that is a nice little service charge!

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Some charges can't be avoided, such as building fees or city/state concession fees, taxes and such. However, convenience charges and email fees can be -- if you're willing to stand in line at the box office, something few of us are willing to do. So we pay a premium for the "convenience" of ordering through a broker. I've always been charged some fee for mailing the paper tickets, so I wouldn't be that surprised at an "email fee." They probably have to pay for an ISP, too.

 

[JESW]

Ah yes...I recently ordered our family of 4 tickets to see Blue Man Group in Boston (it will be DH's Christmas present - and we all get to go ) and those tickets (through Ticketmaster) cost me over $200 when all was added up.... Hope it's a good show!

Jill

 

[Janet Hill]

Yes it is capitalism and let's just hope this capitalistic venture stays here. I'll only boycott ticketmaster when my phone call starts going to India.

 

[bicker]

I think they charge entirely to much!!

That's really for the market to determine, isn't it?

 

[ckay87]

I've always been charged some fee for mailing the paper tickets, so I wouldn't be that surprised at an "email fee." They probably have to pay for an ISP, too.

No, actually Ticketmaster sends their tickets "Standard Mail" at no extra charge, but they charge a couple bucks for you to "print at home." I don't get that at all. I always think "no thanks - I want my cute little heavyweight tickets come in the mail, thank you."

Unfortunately I'm slightly addicted to live entertainment - I hate Ticketmaster. $8.00 service charge per order = ok. $8.00 service charge per ticket = ridiculous!

I'm actually seeing Bon Jovi ALONE in Feb. $135/ticket...yep I'm alone in that one - in my circle of friends at least.

 

[bicker]

No, actually Ticketmaster sends their tickets "Standard Mail" at no extra charge, but they charge a couple bucks for you to "print at home." I don't get that at all.

That makes it sound like they see more fraud from electronic ticket than from paper tickets. I suspect people feel it is worth-it if they need the convenience of a short turn-around time between purchase and event, or if they find they encounter a lot of theft from their mailbox. I don't see much logic in choosing the electronic tickets otherwise.

 

[LoraJ]

I think the biggest fraud with Ticketmaster is there little inside deals that they must have with ticket brokers.

I did a fan club pre-sale the other day. I am the only one in the club who got a seat in the first 20 rows (and probably only because I bought one ticket). I actually got second row. No one else who is actually a fan got good seats. Yet all the other good seats instantly show up on ebay and broker sites. How is it that the brokers manage to get all of those tickets? We were all on at the same time when tickets went on sale.And the next day when they went on sale to the public, even more of thsoe good seats in teh first 5 rows showed up. And of course the brokers charge double the ticket price.

 

[Mishetta]

No, actually Ticketmaster sends their tickets "Standard Mail" at no extra charge, but they charge a couple bucks for you to "print at home." I don't get that at all. I always think "no thanks - I want my cute little heavyweight tickets come in the mail, thank you."

Unfortunately I'm slightly addicted to live entertainment - I hate Ticketmaster. $8.00 service charge per order = ok. $8.00 service charge per ticket = ridiculous!

I'm actually seeing Bon Jovi ALONE in Feb. $135/ticket...yep I'm alone in that one - in my circle of friends at least.

I agree ~ if they charge per order versus per ticket it's okay (by me). Otherwise, we just drive over to the actual venu & purchase the tickets there with no service charges built in. It has actually saved us enough to purchase an additional ticket at times & we'll take one of my Godchildren.

BTW ckay87~ can I come with you to the Bon Jovi concert??

Also, just for laughs ~ I found an old ticket stub of when I was a teen & my Mom took me to see Bobby Sherman (I know, most of you don't know who he is) , anyway, the concert ticket was $4 & the parking fee was 25 cents. We just went to see Bon Jovi at the Auburn Hills Palace a few weeks ago & we had $50 seats in the nose bleed section (which we were given free from a cousin) & then by sheer luck, we were moved to the $125 section! Anyway, we still had to pay $15 parking & my DS wanted an ice cream $5 ~ YIKES, what an expensive evening that could have been if we had paid for the concert tickets! We just don't go to concerts anymore. We also no longer attend plays for the same reason. All that stuff got way too expensive for us as a family.