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Fucking hell Ticket Master
- Thread starter gdt
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Mama Robotnik
Member
The customer originally ordered the tickets months before the show for delivery. They then rang and asked for collection at the box office. They then rang again to check that a family member could collect them instead. Only the card holder is allowed to collect the tickets at certain venues, with no exceptions. The company told him no.
At least, that was how things were back then.
EDIT - made the details clearer.
Stuff like that is unfortunate. It's probably a product of them not being affiliated with the actual venue and just being just this big giant ticket seller at arms length from everything.
The "No Refunds unless the event is cancelled" policy is okay on its own. Tons of people cancelling on you can cause tons of problems. Also I'm assuming in this "Non transferable" case, the tickets were paperless or something and the "cardholder must pick up, no exceptions" rule is set in stone to prevent scalping at the request of the artist. Or if it wasn't that, the "Cardholder must be present" rule is to prevent credit card fraud. I'm sure they encounter tons of it and the policy is in place to minimize credit card chargebacks.
Where I work, we sell our own tickets and although we have the same rules, we absolutely will make exceptions in extenuating circumstances. I actually did refund tickets for someone with cancer not too long ago. We got a lovely thank you letter in the mail from the customer and she promises to come back when she's feeling better.
I guess when you're just some big giant faceless thing it's easy to go "Policy is X, no exceptions".
That sounds pretty bad though. It must have sucked being asked "Are these good seats?", "What do you think is better 15th row on the main floor or second row on the second floor" when you've never set foot in the city before let alone the actual venue.
The Tracking of AHT and the amount of time you are "On busy" etc does suck. I had to put up with that at another job. Having to work none stop call after call after call for 2.5-3 hours straight until your break every day all day is very stressful. I can handle the first couple of hours on a big on sale like that every once and a while. Every day? God no.
Woffls
Member
They take the piss in the UK as well, in fact most of the box offices do. I remember booking tickets to see Protest the Hero and the fees came to 50% of the face value!
I always get tickets through Stargreen now because they don't charge you to collect and I can just pop into the box office when I'm on Oxford Street. I think there's a standard fee of 10% of the face value, which is kinda almost fair, I guess, sort of.
But yeah, fuck Ticketmaster.
I always get tickets through Stargreen now because they don't charge you to collect and I can just pop into the box office when I'm on Oxford Street. I think there's a standard fee of 10% of the face value, which is kinda almost fair, I guess, sort of.
But yeah, fuck Ticketmaster.
op clearly stated that driving to the venue was an option he contemplated. I think he should have done it.
OneHitWonder
Member
This might make you feel better. Their parent company is losing money.
http://data.cnbc.com/quotes/LYV/tab/5
http://data.cnbc.com/quotes/LYV/tab/5
thekonamicode
Member
Back in 95 the band played almost every show at non-ticketmaster venues but the places were so hard to find, and counterfeit tickets were so rampant. The tour was a disaster.
The sad fact of reality is if you want to tour in the US, you have to use Ticketmaster. I get all my Pearl Jam tickets through the fan club, and have for 10 years. And yeah, the front rows, floor seats, and first level raised seats of every Pearl Jam concert are reserved for Fanclub members.
I find myself going to concerts less and less because of the outrageous service charges attached to each ticket. As many have said before a $30 ticket very quickly becomes a $50 ticket with taxes and various bullshit charges. It's hard to justify the expense for a 2-3 hour show. I used to go to multiple (10+) concerts a year. This year my first concert will be The Smashing Pumpkins in November. Granted, a lot of other stuff has happened this year, like buying a house, etc... which means less free time and less money but still outrageous ticket prices have a lot to do with it.
As far as the Smashing Pumpkins go, while I'm interested in going I'm going more for my wife than myself. She's a HUGE fan. Such a huge fan that she has a Smashing Pumpkins Tattoo on her shoulder.
As far as the Smashing Pumpkins go, while I'm interested in going I'm going more for my wife than myself. She's a HUGE fan. Such a huge fan that she has a Smashing Pumpkins Tattoo on her shoulder.
Yeah they handle the fan club very well. IIRC you have to be a fanclub member before the tour is announced, and seating location is based on seniority in the fan club.
For people who say such things, the market is working the way they want. Corporate profits at the expense of the consumer.
jamesinclair
Banned
So theres a concert Im thinking of going to in philly (like the op!) and it looks like ticketmaster is my only choice.
Anyone know if the retail locations have less fees?
Also, anyone here familiar with the tower theater in west philly?
Anyone know if the retail locations have less fees?
Also, anyone here familiar with the tower theater in west philly?
aparisi2274
Member
Louis CK hates them as we'll, so he sells his tickets outside of Ticketmaster for $45. No fees. No nothing. I wish more entertainers went this route.
Yo, that site is down b.
AwesomeSauce
MagsMoonshine
Yep, just paid for "$36" tickets that ended up going to $50 because of the damn fees.
Absoludacrous
Member
Yea, Ticketmaster is pretty bad. Their support if you're a venue is pretty shitty too. We're looking at abandoning them in a year or two and switching to a different company.
fu3lfr3nzy
Member
Bought a ticket last Saturday. Price was $90 but after some TM magic, it's $111 total. Ugh.
BigJonsson
Member
In Canada the real price is shown on ticketmaster.ca and the breakdown of fees is in brackets beside.....
I only look at the final price anyway, its whatever
But I did go to a concert in London, England in January and there were a couple sites besides ticketmaster to go to and they had lower prices but it was only 1 or 2 dollars difference
Also be happy that you don't have to get random wristbands and line up in person anymore, that was a royal pain in the ass back in the day
I only look at the final price anyway, its whatever
But I did go to a concert in London, England in January and there were a couple sites besides ticketmaster to go to and they had lower prices but it was only 1 or 2 dollars difference
Also be happy that you don't have to get random wristbands and line up in person anymore, that was a royal pain in the ass back in the day
RumblingRosco
Member
I'm sort of not sure I understand their business model.
So, let's say a ticket's face value is $50, and you could drive to the venue and buy the ticket there (for $50 + tax) or, you could buy it from Ticketmaster for $50 + $15 in fees + tax. Clearly, you're paying $15 more; but, this is basically Ticketmaster's cut, right? Or do they also earn a cut from selling the ticket itself (like, 10% of the $50 goes to TM)?
So, let's say a ticket's face value is $50, and you could drive to the venue and buy the ticket there (for $50 + tax) or, you could buy it from Ticketmaster for $50 + $15 in fees + tax. Clearly, you're paying $15 more; but, this is basically Ticketmaster's cut, right? Or do they also earn a cut from selling the ticket itself (like, 10% of the $50 goes to TM)?
Here in Brazil they started charging convenience fees when you buy AT THE VENUE lol
Also, some states here have blocked ticket sites from asking for % of a ticket as fees (so more expensive ticket buyers pay more for the same service) and they just raised the fee on all other tickets to keep the same revenue and candidly told the public to blame their law makers.
shody shody business
Also, some states here have blocked ticket sites from asking for % of a ticket as fees (so more expensive ticket buyers pay more for the same service) and they just raised the fee on all other tickets to keep the same revenue and candidly told the public to blame their law makers.
shody shody business
BigJonsson
Member
And what venues actually have box offices without fees?
I'd be more pissed that ticketmaster was listing tickets for far above face value on ticketsnow or whatever its called......
I'd be more pissed that ticketmaster was listing tickets for far above face value on ticketsnow or whatever its called......
Absoludacrous
Member
Yea, Ticketmaster makes its money from the fees. That's not their only revenue though, since they also charge venues annually for using their system. Typically they don't see any profit from the base $50 though.
I have seen rumblings of unhappiness from small to middle sized venues at ticketing conferences. I think we're the forsaken demographic though, since TM really only cares about sports and arenas.
The problem is competing companies are still lagging behind in certain technical areas.
Box office fees are much, much smaller than TM fees, typically.
BigJonsson
Member
Not in Toronto
I approve of this thread. If I have to buy a ticket for a show through TicketMaster, it may be a dealbreaker for me. The fees are just atrocious - sometimes doubling the ticket price. It's not just about the extra $10-20 in fees, but just out of principle it is hard to support them and their anti-consumer ways.
RumblingRosco
Member
So, I guess, I don't see why people are so up-in-arms about the fees? TM provides a service; they sell tickets in a very organized and consistent system that's available at your finger tips for tons of different events. In exchange, you pay a premium. It's like buying food at a restaurant; I could make it at home for less, but I'm paying for the convenience and familiar experience of having someone else do the work.
Sorry, I never thought I'd see the day that I'm on the "defense force" for something the rest of GAF hates, but I guess I'm confused why there is such rage here. Full disclosure: I've used TM a few times for some sporting events but that's the extent of my knowledge/experience with them. I am aware that as a company they're massive dicks (e.g., the cancer victim story above), but if we boycotted every asshole company... well, there's just too many.
Absoludacrous
Member
You must only buy food at really expensive restaurants then. Ticketmaster's premium is insanely high for the amount of "service" they provide. Amazon is very organized and consistent, but it doesn't cost me an extra $15 to buy my games from them.
As a venue we offer more options, better service, and a cheaper price.
That's not even getting into how they'll save tickets to popular events so they can scalp them themselves on their own sister websites.
And the problem with "boycotting" TM is that you effectively can't. Even if you were to buy from us directly and save yourself the $30 on two tickets, you're still putting money in TM's pocket by supporting us at all, since we have to turn around and give them thousands and thousands of dollars every year.
Yea, I can only speak for the US.
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