Mister Sulu, I feel a rant coming on. Fire up warp engines.

[cyrano]

So today started out crappy. A co-worker dropped me an email saying 'Hey! That band you dig, Bitter:Sweet, is playing on Sunday night in Santa Cruz! Come down and hang out!' That was pretty cool.

We started out with the usual fuckery--"Tickets are only Ten Dollars! Plus a $2.50 fee, and a fifty cent charge, and then a fifty cent City entertainment tax So it's Super Cheap!"



And then. On the next page.


A $1 charge for will-call I can understand.
A $2 charge to print the ticket out myself, cart it around with me and bring it to the venue is nothing but gouging.
In fact, I called InTicketing and spoke to a customer service representative who admitted that she couldn't imagine what about me printing the ticket, me carrying it with me and then me bringing it to the show would cost them $2.
But she was very polite, and very quick with the information, and I like her. I'm just boggled by what's considered acceptable ticket fuckery these days.

EDITZ:
It occurs to me that I merely reported, and forgot to rant. So.
WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? AND WHY AREN'T MORE PEOPLE WRITING THE SORT OF INDIGNANT EMAIL I'M COMPOSING NOW TO EXCORIATE THIS SORT OF BLATANT MONEY GRUBBING PRACTICE? BECAUSE THE LONGER YOU SIMPLY LIE BACK AND TAKE IT, THE MORE THEY'RE GOING TO KNOW THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH.

Comments

[mostuff.livejournal.com]

Tickets are $10 for their show at House of Blues in Dallas...with $6 in Ticketmaster fees (+ another $2.50 if I want to print up my own ticket and bring it with me...no fee for Will Call or Mail).

*sigh*

Yes. It sucks.

Haven't decided if I'm going or not. I've got tickets for Lyle Lovett and his Large Band the night before...I'm getting old and stuff -- don't know if I can handle going out two nights in a row.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

You totally can. (:

[mostuff.livejournal.com]

But on a school night? I'm always afraid I'm going to kill someone at work due to sleeplessness and stupid mistakes.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

You should get a transfer to the morgue. (:

[mostuff.livejournal.com]

Ick. Dead people smell bad.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

But they complain a lot less.

[mostuff.livejournal.com]

That's true. Never had one of my autopsies call and complain about the bill.

[9thmoon.livejournal.com]

This is standard practice for Ticketbastard and has been, for years. Essentially, they're fining you for denying them their profit on a ticket printing and shipping charge.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

And, see, that's the thing. This isn't TicketBastard. This is one of those perky upstart ticket businesses who are supposed to provide me an alternative to the ass-raping corporate fuckery of TB.

[miss-friday.livejournal.com]

What they are really doing is misrepresenting the cost of a ticket, and thereby suckering people in with "low, low prices." Most folks (like yourself) get psyched with the thought of a $10 ticket. If that ticket were $15 or $20, then a large segment would pass at the onset. But by the time you've gotten 2/3 of the way through the ordering process, the ticket broker figures you will go through with the transaction despite the annoyance.

Also, though I'm not a lawyer or ticket broker (or play one on television), but I wonder if the band and/or venue receives set a percentage of the listed ticket price. By adding on fees at the end the broker can screw both you and the artist (and the venue) by lowering the amount they have to pay out and increase the amount they charge you. If so, then you are just lining the broker's pocket with money.

If anything I've written approaches the truth, then I'm not sure I'd rather not just pay a scalper.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's pretty much exactly what they're doing. But I'd have to *find* a scalper first.

[phillipalden.livejournal.com]

When Eric Clapton last played a large tour here the tickets were $125.00 and there was a $25.00 "Service Charge." I paid $80.00 to see Peter Gabriel (the last time) and something like $15-$20 in "service and other related charges."