Comments on: Avoid Ticketmaster’s Ridiculous Fees http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/avoid-ticketmasters-fees.html personal finance blog with anecdotes, advice and commentary. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:04:27 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: ya right! http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/avoid-ticketmasters-fees.html/comment-page-1#comment-305245 ya right! Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:50:24 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/avoid-ticketmasters-fees.html#comment-305245 Dude, you did a great job of convincing us you are not an employee of ticketmaster. We are so glad you are not working for amazon! We don't need to hear from you how little ticketmaster makes from fees. Just release the tickets to hundreds of online websites, we don't need crappy ticketmaster. Dude, you did a great job of convincing us you are not an employee of ticketmaster. We are so glad you are not working for amazon! We don’t need to hear from you how little ticketmaster makes from fees. Just release the tickets to hundreds of online websites, we don’t need crappy ticketmaster.

]]> By: SGC http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/avoid-ticketmasters-fees.html/comment-page-1#comment-158746 SGC Mon, 24 Sep 2007 19:54:42 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/avoid-ticketmasters-fees.html#comment-158746 I do not work for Ticketmaster, but I do work in the ticket industry. I can say this. All of those service charges are not Ticketmaster. They include facility fees, promoter fees, sometimes parking fees, box office fees, etc. Ticketmaster fees are only a fraction of that and are used to for technology development and the cost of business. They are not a monopoly because there are others competing against them such as Tickets.com and other in-house services such as Tessitura (used in arts organizations). I've always agreed that building the charges into the price of the ticket would lessen the blow consumers feel that they are delivered when making this purchase, but most of the people making these decisions have not worked in ticketing and do not deal with the public on a daily basis and seek better ways to keep them happy. I think Tickets.com (owned by MLB) scales their service charges based on a percentage, but I do not know for sure if they build other costs into their pricing (before charges). I would assume so, because after all, they're in the business to make money too. Ticketmaster sells convenience. You will rarely ever have to stand in line for long or wait on hold or have problems purchasing tickets online. Generally by the time the customer has paid the money and seen the show and captured a great experience, the service charge doesn't really matter to that person. Consumers tend to remember the experience, not the ticket charges when it's all over. I understand your argument though...I feel the same way about banks. I do not work for Ticketmaster, but I do work in the ticket industry. I can say this. All of those service charges are not Ticketmaster. They include facility fees, promoter fees, sometimes parking fees, box office fees, etc. Ticketmaster fees are only a fraction of that and are used to for technology development and the cost of business. They are not a monopoly because there are others competing against them such as Tickets.com and other in-house services such as Tessitura (used in arts organizations). I’ve always agreed that building the charges into the price of the ticket would lessen the blow consumers feel that they are delivered when making this purchase, but most of the people making these decisions have not worked in ticketing and do not deal with the public on a daily basis and seek better ways to keep them happy.

I think Tickets.com (owned by MLB) scales their service charges based on a percentage, but I do not know for sure if they build other costs into their pricing (before charges). I would assume so, because after all, they’re in the business to make money too.

Ticketmaster sells convenience. You will rarely ever have to stand in line for long or wait on hold or have problems purchasing tickets online. Generally by the time the customer has paid the money and seen the show and captured a great experience, the service charge doesn’t really matter to that person. Consumers tend to remember the experience, not the ticket charges when it’s all over.

I understand your argument though…I feel the same way about banks.

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