Ticketmaster/Tickethorse

[Darth Do'Urden]

Can anyone at all tell me what the HELL a $13 "convenience fee" is for? Even if I buy the tickets in person there is still this friggin' charge, and for WHAT?

I hate Ticketmaster and Tickethorse so much. Why can't I just purchase a ticket for a concert and be done with it? There's nothing "convenient" about not having a choice where to buy a ticket and having to fork over a large percentage more above the price of the ticket for having this lack of choice.

It's like knowing your going to be raped and going out with the person anyway. And it infuriates me to no end. :x:x:x

[fasterlaster]

This stuff has been around forever, but it still sucks. It used to be because we all had to wait in line at Turtles Records (at least for me) starting early AM just to get tickets, but there was infrastructure involved such as actual ticket printing machines and such. Now it's just a way to remove extra money.

[Scatterbrain]

Dude it's just a fee that your gonna have to pay using those ticket providers. Try just getting scalpers out front usually you can talk them down.

[modette99]

You can try my cousins husband he is a registered ticket agent, said he can get tickets anywhere. He can log into a vendor thingy and buy tickets....not sure how all that works.

He is on Facebook: Terry's Monster Tixx

Send him a message and see what he says for the concert, sports game or whatever it is you want to go to.

[bulldog]

I feel you man! Had to pay $50 in fees for the UFC fights :banghead:

[dirkterrell]

Can anyone at all tell me what the HELL a $13 "convenience fee" is for? Even if I buy the tickets in person there is still this friggin' charge, and for WHAT?


It's called anticompetitive behavior and is what happens when government regulators fail to do their jobs and ensure that there is a free market in a given industry. Going back to the 80s, Ticketmaster has consolidated the industry to the point that now, you have no choice but to pay whatever fees they wish to charge. It's very "convenient" for them. Well, I guess you do have a choice. You could choose not to buy tickets to see anything, and let the performers know why. If nobody shows up, they'll use their economic clout to get the government to do its job.

[cptschlongenheimer]

^ this
I wish more people would vote with their wallet.

This is the same reason cable TV is so damn expensive. Because you fools keep paying whatever they ask for.

[bulldog]

^ this
I wish more people would vote with their wallet.

This is the same reason cable TV is so damn expensive. Because you fools keep paying whatever they ask for. Wait, so the solution is to not buy the tickets at all in hopes they do away with these fees? :confused:

[Ezzzzy1]

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p55/Ezzzzy1/photo-1.jpg

I hate paying it but concerts/events are worth it

[dirkterrell]

Wait, so the solution is to not buy the tickets at all in hopes they do away with these fees? :confused:

Don't buy tickets, let the performers know why, and the venues for these events will rethink their exclusive deals with the ticket vendors that keep competition from taking place. If you're happy to pay ridiculous fees, keep on buying but don't complain about it.

[TinkerinWstuff]

it's amazing how the free market works

[salsashark]

Don't buy tickets, let the performers know why, and the venues for these events will rethink their exclusive deals with the ticket vendors that keep competition from taking place. If you're happy to pay ridiculous fees, keep on buying but don't complain about it.

this...

[bulldog]

Don't buy tickets, let the performers know why, and the venues for these events will rethink their exclusive deals with the ticket vendors that keep competition from taking place. If you're happy to pay ridiculous fees, keep on buying but don't complain about it. In a perfect world I think that may work, but I highly doubt they are going to change this policy especially when events like UFC are selling out (in some cases in minutes). I am not for these fees either, but really people are stuck paying them if they want to see a performance or get good seats. Just saying there is more to this than people can really control.

[TinkerinWstuff]

the price is the price. Just like raising taxes, the costs are what they are and will always be passed on to the consumer.

Instead of adding the convenience fee, they can just add $13 to the ticket price but renegotiate their contract with the performer (how much the performer gets from each ticket sold).

Without competition

[cptschlongenheimer]

Wait, so the solution is to not buy the tickets at all in hopes they do away with these fees? :confused:

Yeah. It is.
If you keep paying their ridiculous fees, you are telling them you are willing to pay their ridiculous fees. Every time you pay these fees you effectively say you believe they are right (as in "not wrong") to charge them.

You're right that it won't work as long as there's a dumb fool behind you ready to be parted with his money. But, If we educate our peers and convince enough to not give in to these predatory companies. If we dry up the supply of free cash that they get without working for it. They'll have to change the way they do business.

The free market works best when the consumer is educated and makes sound financial decisions.

But alas, I know for every one of me there is, there are ten dumb fucks who are willing to be robbed just so they can go see a show. So we all end up paying more.

[bulldog]

Yeah. It is.
If you keep paying their ridiculous fees, you are telling them you are willing to pay their ridiculous fees. Every time you pay these fees you effectively say you believe they are right (as in "not wrong") to charge them.

You're right that it won't work as long as there's a dumb fool behind you ready to be parted with his money. But, If we educate our peers and convince enough to not give in to these predatory companies. If we dry up the supply of free cash that they get without working for it. They'll have to change the way they do business.

The free market works best when the consumer is educated and makes sound financial decisions.

But alas, I know for every one of me there is, there are ten dumb fucks who are willing to be robbed just so they can go see a show. So we all end up paying more.
It is like being stuck between a rock and hard place! I’d love to not pay the fees, but even when I got the UFC tickets on a pre-release (the day they went out to the public), the seats were going so fast that every few minutes seat selection got worse and worse. In reality if I went against them and didn’t pay the fees, then I feel I would have been the only one hurt by this by not getting tickets. I think it is like “TinkerinWstuff” said and either way the price will be the price and even without these fees, the cost will be put into the ticket then.

[Devaclis]

Eddie Vedder approves of this thread.

[cptschlongenheimer]

I agree that it's a shitty position to be in.
As long as it's only one guy not buying... he ends up compromising his convictions or misses out on an event he'd rather be at.

So society at large has decided for him then... and the free market, it turns out, really isn't.
Hooray capitalism.

[bulldog]

Now the one that really gets me is Excel energy! I have no option other than to pay their crazy rates and fees because there is no competition. Well guess I could just not have heat/electricity :shock:

[Sully]

Or if possible, buy directly from the box office venue.

[longrider]

Or if possible, buy directly from the box office venue.

I was wondering if that was still true. Years ago I did that for exactly that reason. Another option (when offered) is to buy your tickets from a local store that is not a regular ticket outlet. For example at Fay Myers we have tickets for the Endurocross coming up in a couple weeks and it is just face value.

[TinkerinWstuff]

Now the one that really gets me is Excel energy! I have no option other than to pay their crazy rates and fees because there is no competition. Well guess I could just not have heat/electricity :shock:

http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/diego_cervo/diego_cervo0806/diego_cervo080600050/3224850-young-girl-in-park-blowing-on-pinwheel.jpg