Go to Ticketmaster…do not pass Go!

Is it me or has Ticketmaster gotten out of control?

 

I was looking up ticket prices the other day, to a concert I was really enthused to see, but after adding up the nonsense fees Ticketmaster feels compelled to tack onto a single ticket, I had to pass. It’s f-ing ridiculous, a ticket starts off at 35.00 bucks and ends up forcing someone to pull out a second mortgage on their home once Ticketmaster gets their talons into it.

 

Actual Ticket Fee:

$60.00

 

Ticket Master Fee:

Convenience Charge: $6.50-13.45 (Convenience from what? I still have to pay an extra 12.00 or so to mail them, or 2.50 to print them, or 2.50 to drive to the venue and present my id to pick them up. How is this additional 6.50-13.45 charge making my life convenient?)

 

Building Facility Fee: $1.50-4.50 (I’m confused…isn’t this what my $60.00 is paying for as well?)

 

Self Print Fee: $2.50 (Why am I being charged to use my own ink and printer to print the tickets I just paid for?)

 

Retail Outlet Pick Up Fee: $1.00 (Why am I being charged to pick them up? I just paid for them and now I have to pay an extra dollar each to actually put them in my hand once I get to the venue)

 

Customers in other Countries pick up by will Call: $2.50 (Is this a ransom fee? Was my $60.00 dollar not good enough you need an extra 5 bucks from me?)

 

 

It used to work like this: Artists (or their management) figure out how much it will cost to tour. They present promoters with a price (known as a guarantee). If promoters think they can make enough money to pay the guarantee and make a profit, they’ll book the show. A ticketing agent like Ticketmaster makes no money from the price of the ticket, so it profits by charging various service fees.
Everyone in this arrangement is making plenty of money. Ticket sales in North America last year rose 7 percent to $4.2 billion, according to trade industry magazine Pollstar, though as in recent years, the growth comes from selling fewer tickets at higher prices. Ticketmaster in 2008 reported third-quarter revenues of $339.2 million, up 16 percent over the previous year.

 

I ask if, most artist have signed with Live Nation to promote their concerts, and Live Nation merges with Ticketmaster, how is this not a monopoly? What’s to stop this merger from adding more shenanigan fees to tickets.

Fees like:

Staging Fee: Charging the fans for the stage set up fee.

Production Fee: Charging the fans for production cost.

Grouping Fee: Charging the fans the cost of the artist entourage fees

Concession Fee: Charging the fan the cost of food and liquor for the entire tour for the artist and their entourage.

Trust Fee: Charging the fan for the cost of the artist retirement fees.

So if artists, promoters and ticketing agencies are making so much money, the real question is, who’s getting screwed?