1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Ticketmaster's newest scam: Instant scalping

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Starman, Feb 2, 2009.

  1. mike311gd

    mike311gd Active Member

    I just bought two concert tickets from Ticketmaster. They each had a $7.50 processing fee and another $2 charge.
     
  2. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    From today's New York Post:

    BRUCE FOUGHT SCAM ON TIX & BUD LOOKED OTHER WAY
    By PHIL MUSHNICK

    February 22, 2009 --
    LET'S examine how two prominent bosses in American life, Bruce Springsteen and Bud Selig - same initials, too - responded to the same stimuli, the same ripoff made in their good names and on their watches:

    Early this month, those who tried to purchase tickets online, through Ticketmaster, to two Bruce Springsteen concerts in the Meadowlands, found that the concerts instantly had sold out - a common and dubious curiosity attached to the sale of tickets to many big events.

    Nevertheless, in this case, Ticketmaster advised that tickets to the concerts still could be purchased, but through TicketsNow, a re-sale entity in cahoots with Ticketmaster. TicketsNow was selling the Springsteen tickets for more than four times what Ticketmaster was charging.

    When angry word from fans reached Springsteen, he angrily demanded an immediate cease and desist, making it clear that nothing like it had better happen again.

    Such a ticket scam may have been invented by the Chicago Cubs, in 2002, on Selig's watch and with his tacit approval.

    The Cubs took tickets to many of its most attractive games, including interleague games vs. the Yankees, and, without providing them for sale to the public, delivered them to a new company, Wrigley Field Premium Ticket Services, which then scalped the tickets.

    When angry word from fans reached MLB, MLB did absolutely nothing. In fact, given that most MLB teams now engage in some form of ticket extortion, it seems the Cubs' scam might have been used for inspiration.

    Incidentally, the fellow who answered for the Cubs' "creative ticket marketing," was its exec. VP of business operations, a fellow named McGuire, Mark McGuire. Really.
     
  3. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member


    I'm going to play Devil's Advocate here and note gently that w/the current Springstein tour, IT NEVER SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN TO THAT POINT, TO BEGIN WITH. It's easy to jawbone about the barn door, after the fact . . .

    The key here will be to watch for feedback regarding the next flight of future, yet-unsold Boss concerts. Simple enough.
     
  4. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    I just wanted to vent about how much I hate Ticketmaster.

    Just bought 4 tickets to the Clapton Guitar Festival this summer. Tickets were $100.00 each.

    So what did four tickets cost me through Ticketmaster? $484.15!

    Such bullshit.

    Here's how they break it down:

    Ticket Price: US $100.00 x 4
    Facility Charge: US $7.00 x 4
    Convenience Charge: US $12.20 x 4
    SUBTOTAL: US $476.80

    Tickets/Items: US $476.80
    Order Processing Fee: US $4.85
    TicketFast Delivery: US $2.50

    TOTAL CHARGES: US $484.15
     
  5. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member


    Organized Crime isn't this bad.

    This is sanctioned thuggery.
     
  6. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Thuggery? Is Ticketmaster run by African-Americans?
     
  7. NoOneLikesUs

    NoOneLikesUs Active Member

    It seems like Ticketmaster just makes up new charges without any explanation as to what they are. I'd be willing to bet no one in that company could explain to you what a convenience charge actually is. If you ask me, $4 per ticket in YF's case, is a pretty inconvenient truth.
     
  8. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

    Wilco, the only band I really bother to watch live anymore, sells its tickets through Frontgate tickets ... My seat to the March 27 show in Durham was $35.00. There's a $4.50 service fee, and that's it. Not bad.
     
  9. Simon_Cowbell

    Simon_Cowbell Active Member

    Racist.
     
  10. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    It's very convenient for them to make $12.20 more per ticket.
     
  11. Webster

    Webster Well-Known Member

    Once for a concert at MSG, I was charged an extra $7.50 per ticket for the loss in parking revenue because MSG did not own any parking lots. Insanity.
     
  12. Pilot

    Pilot Well-Known Member

    How are these not all the exact same things? What in the world could the difference be between a convenience charge, a processing fee and a delivery fee?

    What does a delivery fee take care of that a processing fee doesn't?
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page