Theatre booking fee - £3 on £15 ticket!

sasparillo

I have just booked a £15 ticket for a theatre in the Ambassador Theatre Group in London. I managed to avoid the 0870 number using good old saynoto0870 but suddenly very quickly the person at the other end of the line said there was a £3 booking fee. I gulped but accepted but said that I would pick up the ticket at the box office, thinking that this would be extra. But the booking didn't go through, apparently due to a computer glitch.

I was told I would be rung back. But I wasn't rung back and rang them. Apparently the booking still hadn't gone through and I had to rebook which I did. The person again asked if I wanted it posted and I said not likely when it was going to cost more. But he said it didn't, so I agreed for it to be posted. This time the booking went through.

However thinking this over I find it all very curious. Maybe I am naturally suspicious but I am wondering whether when I said I would collect from the box office this spoiled something ... Because surely customers should not be made to paid for the costs of postage whether they collect from the box office or not?

What do others think?

eyelinerprincess

Ticket outlets generally have a booking fee.

Ticketmaster adds a £3.50 service charge on every ticket PLUS £4.95 per order for postage.

Seetickets varies but is generally around £3.25.

sasparillo

But this one seems to expect those customers who collect to pay the same as those who ask for postage. So in other words, those customers who are collecting are still paying for postage even if the tickets are not being posted. £3 on a £15 ticket is a fifth of the ticket price! The person booking is a hostage to these agencies because you cannot book direct from the ticket office of the theatre anymore unless it is a theatre like the National Theatre. You go to the appointed agency. It's not like you choose it.

eyelinerprincess

I think you've misunderstood my post.

Whether you collect the tickets or get them delivered, most ticket outlets charge a "service charge", which is the same as a booking fee on every ticket. It's like that wherever you buy your ticket.

sasparillo

I realize that they do put on a charge although rates seem to have gone up dramatically since I last booked on the phone. But in this particular case it seems that the people who collect are paying the same as those who get the tickets sent. Which begs a question about how this fee breaks down.

This particular one seems to have a set charge as I have said whether or not the ticket is sent. Others bung on another substantial charge on top for the postage which also then begs a question, especially when they are the "box office" appointed by the theatre and you cannot phone the theatre box office and book a ticket.

So you're not using an agency because you choose to but because it is the agency appointed by the theatre. There's no choice either the theatre box office or the agency. £15 seemed to me to be a reasonable price for a seat with a not perfect view but it's £18. And I only booked a single ticket so it really is a fifth of the price.

I appreciate theatres are expensive to run and it is easier to contract out telephone ticket sales but really they should ensure in the contract that for example a lone theatregoer is not discriminated against because they have booked by phone. After all, they want bums on seats. For two theatregoers, £1.50 surcharge each doesn't strike me as too bad. It would be better to charge per ticket with a cap so it doesn't become outrageous rather than a flat charge.

How do Ticketmaster justify £4.95 for postage? Are they in the middle of the country and someone has to take all the tickets to the post office across the fields?

zappomatic

I know it's not possible or practical for everyone, but the best way to buy theatre tickets is in person from the box office. That way the clerk can help you pick out the best seats from the plan, and there's no fees. I've also found it a good way to get discounts on the day of performance even for popular or 'sold out' shows.

silverfairy

eyelinerprincess wrote:

Ticket outlets generally have a booking fee.

Ticketmaster adds a £3.50 service charge on every ticket PLUS £4.95 per order for postage.

Seetickets varies but is generally around £3.25.

Is the charge different if booked by phone or internet?
Just booked on internet for theatre in March via Ticketmaster and my charges are 2xtickets@ £25.00 each
2xconvenience charge @ £2.75 each
Delivery(Standard post) £2.75
Tickets usually arrive in a standard window envelope.obvious by the printed address ticket in the window what they are!

eyelinerprincess

I don't think so, I mean, I bought tickets from their outlet before in Glasgow and they still charged a booking fee.

Perhaps it's different costs for different events, I mean, seetickets were adding an extra FIVER at least on top of tickets for Beyonce (and why anyone would want to pay £50 to see her anyway I'll never know) PLUS postage.

sasparillo

I appreciate everything which has been said and I think we all appreciate that there are times when one can go in person and times when one can't. I can't help thinking that theatre groups should wise up though to the fact that these charges by their officially appointed agents are putting customers off, especially those purchasing single tickets. As I've' said, £3 for two people sounds reasonable to me. £3 for one person sounds extortionate. Going to the theatre is a luxury of course but I don't think some of these charges are very transparent. Ok we don't expect these firms just to recoup their costs but nearly five pounds to post a ticket !!!!