San Francisco Music

One of the added benefits of smaller local venues, and even most of the better larger venues like the Fillmore and Slims, is that when a ticket costs $15 you actually pay $15. What the hell does Ticketmaster need $9 extra per ticket for? It's completely obscene. I know everyone loves to hate Ticketmaster, but does anyone actually do anything about it?

Virtuous had been my favorite ticketing site for the last couple years, and for awhile were doing great at fighting the good fight in local ticket sales in several major cities. They only charged $1-2 for their services, and set aside a very large portion of their profits for supporting some cool charities. But they had slowly been reducing their list of cities and venues over the last few months, which did not seem promising. I'm holding back tears as I type this, because they've just shut down and I'm at a loss for what to do :'( I mean seriously, I'd rather pay them $3 than Ticketmaster $10... please don't die, Virtuous, let us help revive you.

So here I am now, looking at an MSI show we want to go to in a few weeks which is only being ticketed via Ticketmaster. They're charging $9 extra per ticket, which is sadly on the low-end of average for them... I've seen the total Ticketmaster fees as high as $18 per ticket before-- that's practically another ticket! To make matters worse this venue doesn't even have a box office, so I can't go pick up tickets in person to avoid the painful fees.

Supposedly, there are local outlets where you can buy some Ticketmaster tickets in person to avoid some of the fees, but one of the only places listed in SF (the Rite Aid off Van Ness) had no idea what I was talking about when I asked how to buy Ticketmaster tickets from them (I even waited to talk to the manager directly to be sure, but he was just as clueless as the counter clerk). And, the other place who supposedly deals with Ticketmaster tickets in person doesn't even seem to exist.

To add insult to injury, they purport to call this extra wad of cash they scoop up like a greedy scrooge-corps the convenience fee -- are you kidding me? How about I go wedge my foot up Sean Moriarty's ass and convince him that I'm doing it purely for his convenience. Seriously, is there ANY way to get a $20 Ticketmaster ticket for less than $29!? Please, someone help me... I'm dying here.

hey!

Don't you forget about the extra $2.50 you give up...to print them out!

AAAHHH there has got to be another way to do that. MSI read my message, but never replied! :(

ya, they can go suck it.

quote: phatduckk

ya, they can go suck it.

Arin's response to absolutely EVERYTHING. :P

Tell me about it.
There are ticketmaster kiosks where you can pick up your tickets. Few venues offer this option. Basically, you only dodge the shipping fee, which can usually be avoided by ordering tickets early and having them shipped via regular post anyway.

The real problem is that Ticketmaster is one of the few outlets for purchasing tickets for bigger venues. Here in Ottawa, there are a couple of alternatives, but their prices usually don't differ much from the ticketmaster costs.

It would be nice if the performing artists would help boycott ticketmaster to help the fans.
After all, if it weren't for the fans, these artists have nothing.

Well I think Ticketmaster is being bought out by Live Nation...who knows if that will make any difference in fees tho...

quote: goodbye Gadget

Well I think Ticketmaster is being bought out by Live Nation...who knows if that will make any difference in fees tho...

Are you sure it's not the other way around? LiveNation has a prettier logo, but it's doubtful that they will decrease the fees... probably just increase them even more...i hope not though.

I saw the Dropkick Murphys play at the Palace in LA once. The ticket was $8.50. The Tickemaster convience fee was.... $8!!!! What the fuck? How are you gonna go and double the fucking ticket price was a surcharge?! That's not a surcharge!!! UGH!

I agree, something must be done about this injustice being done to music fans all over the free world.

Maybe we can add to the manifesto or something. Or start a SF concert-goers union. Or something.

get yer ticket from me mister! $12

http://instantasshole. tripod. com

i completely agree!!! we end up paying two different fees to ticketmaster; one for each ticket purchased and one for the complete transaction. its absolutley ridiculous. i wish ducatking would cover more events. its soooo unfortunate how ticketmaster has monopolized the "ticketing business."

i recently bought tickets to BFD in mountain view. the tickets were 10.53 each, but i ended up paying double for the tickets because of all the ticketmaster service charges.