Archive for May, 2009
The Ticketmaster Scam
I am probably not writing about anything new here. But having avoided Ticketmaster for nearly a decade, I was forced to buy tickets for an event, as a gift, today and had a terrible deal of sticker shock.
I have to ask a few questions because some things made no sense to me. So this is for you, Ticketmaster:
1. Why are your fees so high? Exactly what is a “convenience fee?”
2. Why will you mail tickets to me via standard USPS for free, but I have to pay to print them out myself? Shouldn’t that be the other way around?
3. Why are you really merging with LiveNation? Is it to drive ticket prices up any further?
4. Why are industry folks complaining that concert revenue is down? Oh, wait, think I have the answer to that one…
5. Why are ticket prices so high? Is it you? Is it the artist? Is it the labels? Are you unaware that there’s a recession going on?
6. Again, what the heck is a “convenience fee?” For what you’re charging for tickets, it’s anything but convenient.
7. Why do other live events not charge these sort of outrageous prices? I paid less to see great actors at the RSC and sat in the 4th row in October (literally, I could have reached out and touched the great Patrick Stewart) than for the show I bought tickets for today.
8. Are you aware that general events for the venue I purchased tickets for usually go for about half of what you charged me today? Not to mention that this particular artist has generally been $10-$20 cheaper in other richer cities. Why charge more for this in an area that has less money to spend? Is that some sort of smart marketing that I don’t understand?
9. Why don’t you have any competition? LiveNation no longer counts, obviously.
10. Why can’t the venues sell tickets directly? Or better… why can’t the artists sell tickets directly on their sites? Not fan club-only tickets either…
Which leads to…
11. Why does the industry really need you at all?
Needless to say, this is probably the last time I’ll do business with TicketMaster. The whole process made me feel dirty and used.