Booking Fees for theatre and concert bookings on line

jaceythomas

What do you think of ad-on booking fees?
I am currently researching the policy of ad-on charges when booking tickets on line and at some box offices. I have been in correspondence with the Barbican London, Ambassadors Theatre Group, the Mayflower Southampton, Royal Festival Hall and The Royal Albert Hall (interestingly the Society of London Theatre has so far declined to enter into the debate).
The rationale for these fees is generally a "business oportunity" for these venues and they give a range of dubious and questionable reasons to justify the policy.
Booking/renovation fees relies on the ticket purchaser paying the fee without question. You are certainly entitiled to refuse any compulsory fee relating to "renovation of the building" as this fee/levy has no connection to your original intention of purchasing a ticket for a specific event.
As far as booking fees are concerned, it is the sole responsibilty of the Venue/Promoter/Producer to provide access to the booking process for the purchase of tickets for their event, no addirional service is being provided and a separate fee is not justifiable.

coupleuk

Totally agree that these charges are a rip-off.

I actually had one where they charged me to collect the tickets in person at the box office BUT if I was a non-UK citizen there wouldnt have been a charge.

IF they are able to charge a "restoration levy" separately - which they probably do for tax/vat reasons - then there should be an opt-out at point of purchase.

Personally, I think every business should be made to advertise at the highest cost option and then offer discounts for less costly elements ie debit card as opposed to credit card.

That would provide a fair playing field and would remove many of these rip-off charges as the companies would be competing for business.

Paul

minthemin

I wanted to book tickets for Calender Girls and became totally confused with the price sructure. The Sunderland Empire is part of the Ambassendors group.

This is the email I sent to the box office:-

I went online to book tickets in the gallery at £13.50. Then when I went to basket to proceed the price suddenly changed to £16.00. Then I was told the total would be £18.85! I really wanted two tickets and that total was advised at £34.85!

I am totally confused as the true value of the ticket. I did not notice any explantation as to where the hidden costs came from. Being on a budget £13.50 pet ticket is enough. I was trying to book two tickets and £27.00 I can afford. The hidden amount has stopped me from booking.

My observation, please can you make all pricing stages clear at the basket stage, on the web site, before confirming and booking


My reply!


The ticket cost for Calendar Girls for the Gallery is £13.50 however there are additional costs per ticket when booking online or over the phone which takes it up to £16.00 per ticket and then there I a transaction fee of £2.85. There are still plenty Gallery seats for all performances for that show so I would advise you call down in person and book over the counter and pay by cash or card that way



My point was not taken up by the theatre that these charges should be clearly shown on the web site before the payment stage.

Also why should these extra charges apply to booking online and not in person? The airline industry was told to sort their charging system out. It's high time the theatre industry followed suit.

Kite2010

The worst is paying a booking fee when you buy a ticket from the box-office in person and paying by cash.

jaceythomas

The general reasons venues give are, "The financial climate" "In line with other theatres" "People who make the effort to go to the box office are not charged atbooking fee" "Cost of technology" "Cost of ticket stock" "Financial imperatives" "The promoter/producer takes vertually all the ticket income" and so on.
All the above reasons are not credible given that they all form an essential part of the venues/promoters business.
One way of dealing with booking fees is to refuse to pay any additional charges, the box office is programmed in such a way that they cannot negotiate this so, you will be refused the booking at which point you ask for the producers name and telephone number and, as the rental contract of the venue will include the services of the box office, complain directly to his/her office.

deedee71

Jacey if you put some paragraphs in to your block of text and also put "Opinions wanted" in your header, you might get a better response.

Karabunga

I think the 'booking fees' are a total rip off - okay, the ticket selling companies have to make their money somehow, but do they not get a cut of their sales anyway?

What gets me is when we are charged per ticket - not per booking. There is no difference in the work created when booking one ticket to booking four - I was recently charged a £3 service fee on each of my four tickets for the O2 - even though it was a family ticket that could only be bought in groups of four! Then when I booked a parking space there was another £2.50 charge on top of their extortionate parking charges. All for sending an automated email!

'Which' magazine took up the case regarding the airlines charging such extras - maybe it's time they looked into this as well.