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We’ve previously documented how Ticketmaster screws over its users with insane fees (think: instead of watching a 30-second commercial before a 10-second YouTube video, it’s more like, you buy a ticket and then have to pay the cost of 12,000 Gin Blossoms used CDs on Amazon, sans shipping), but instead of posting Pearl Jam GIFs and Louis C.K. photos (hi!), one Baltimore resident decided to kick the online giant in the butt by using THE LAW.
In 2011 the man was so upset at having to pay $12 in fees on a $52 ticket to see Jackson Browne at Baltimore’s Lyric Opera House that he sued the venue, along with Ticketmaster. He alleged in that lawsuit that he’d been ripped off by “exorbitant charges,” and cited a 1948 ordinance that bars companies from charging fees more than $0.50 on top of a ticket’s stated price.
Maryland’s highest court just ruled last month that Ticketmaster’s fees do violate that law — originally designed to prevent scalping of Navy football tickets — but now it’s up to a federal court to determine whether or not Ticketmaster must stop charging those fees and issue refunds to customers. (Via)
That Jackson Browne, such a troublemaker. Consumerist continues:
The venues don’t want to be responsible for processing large volumes of tickets, however, and the city doesn’t want Ticketmaster’s business to go bye-bye.
“One big concern is Ticketmaster would say, ‘We’re not doing business in Baltimore anymore if we can’t charge more than 50 cents,’” says the city councilman who introduced the bill of exception for ticket companies. “Fifty cents is much too small an amount for their services.”
While we’re not a fan of being forced to pay high surcharges on tickets either, only charging $0.50 over the face value of a ticket could make it hard for some smaller companies to make enough money to cover costs like employees’ salaries.
“As a ticket provider, we don’t make anything off face value,” says Ticketfly’s marketing manager.”The only way we make money is from the service fee.” (Via)
The issue isn’t fees, in general; we understand those are a necessary evil. Where the anger towards Ticketmaster comes from is, 1) Being told a ticket costs $30, and then seeing it’s actually $45 with fees, and 2) paying nearly half of the actual ticket cost in those aforementioned random service fees. Charge $5, even $10, for a $30 ticket, whatever. But when it’s $15 (I’ve paid up to $20), that’s insanity and when, well, take it away, JB.
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Last week I got tickets to a show, 20$ for the ticket and 15$ for the service charge. Ticketmaster can suck a dick for the rest of eternity. 75% markup on my tickets is bullshit.
Finally, Baltimore has a use!
Buying tickets directly from a band’s website with fees under $20 seems to work just fine. It’s a shame the bigger venues only allow a small portion of tickets for bands to sell.
Ticketmaster is a service that has value, and they deserve compensation for providing it. Squabbling online about whether they deserve $10 or $15 is–to put it mildly–rinky-dink, small-ball, tinker-toy hyphenation-inducing lunacy . (Surpassed only by commenting on the aforementioned pettiness.) God damn us all.
Really? You must be rich. 10 or 15 on top of a tickets price would exclude me from bothering to get a ticket, citing ‘a waste of money’
limerind’s comment is absurd.
I feel like the easiest way to handle this is just upright put the fees cost directly into the ticket price so people know ahead of time. That or, you know, blow up Ticketmaster.
“And to think Smithers, you laughed when I bought Ticketmaster. ‘No one will pay 100% service charge!”
“…..originally designed to prevent scalping of Navy football tickets.”
I realize it was a different era back then, but, WHAAA?
“While we’re not a fan of being forced to pay high surcharges on tickets either, only charging $0.50 over the face value of a ticket could make it hard for some smaller companies to make enough money to cover costs like employees’ salaries.”
thats why any hit in the wallet should go to the owner of the company and not a low level employee. that seems to be an issue with most companies. its either raise the price or lower the wages but never take a dime from the owner/ceo/higher ups/
I got tickets to a show and had to pay a service charge. Whatever. I’m used to it now. Then the venue wanted to charge me an extra $7 to put it on my credit/debit card. I told her to forget it. Walked 20 steps to THEIR ATM that had no service charge because it was through my bank and had her start the paperwork again.
What a crock of sh*t. If the ticket fees are $0.50 and Ticketmaster leaves town because “they can’t make money,” LET THEM. That will open the market to other businesses who can provide the same service for that price and STILL MAKE A PROFIT.
I used to work for a large concert venue management corp. Ticketmaster has always been the bane of everyone’s existence as the monopoly they are…and for nothing. They provide no valuable service at all that couldn’t bet done for a small investment, which is why newer venues are eschewing Ticketmaster altogether and selling tickets themselves.