MSE News: Concert booking fees getting beyond a joke, Which? says

whatmichaelsays

I can, at the very least, understand booking fees and charges from third-party sellers. Ultimately, it's how the likes of Ticketmaster and Co earn their money.

My problem with booking fees is when I am buying direct from the vendor / promoter.

For example, if I used the Vue Cinema website to book a ticket for a film being shown in a Vue Cinema, I'm charged a booking fee on top of my ticket fee. Why? That is where, to me, the idea of a booking fee is needless.

MrChips

That said, I don't remember booking tickets through third party sites 15 years ago - you would do it through the venue, so these additional fees wouldn't be incurred. What's changed to make Ticketmaster etc the preferred model?

Peter999_2

whatmichaelsays wrote: »

For example, if I used the Vue Cinema website to book a ticket for a film being shown in a Vue Cinema, I'm charged a booking fee on top of my ticket fee. Why? That is where, to me, the idea of a booking fee is needless.

Just in case you don't know. If you buy the tickets for Vue actually at the cinema you don't pay the booking fee.

If I'm going on a weekend, I buy the tickets sometime during the week before (I pass the cinema on the way home from work) directly from Vue and there is no booking fee.

chris-j

The only way to even attempt to stop this would be for people to stop going to concerts unless there was transparancy.
I am astounded at some of the terms used - convenience fee (= an easy way for us to charge a mark up), renovation levy (= we want to give the office a makeover). I accept that the companies need to make their cut to exist, but they should have fees shown upfront - e.g. £45 (face value £40), but what they do now is no different to what airlines have been lambasted for for years now.

Ectophile

If I want to book tickets at a local venue, I now make a point of going to the box office and paying in cash. It seems to be the only way to avoid the fees completely.

MRMACPHISTO

Most ticket sites are now automatically "ticking" event insurance as well, which adds more to the cost of tickets. Obviously you can "untick" this option, but when you are rushing to buy in demand tickets this is not the thing you are always looking for!! surely this should be unticked to start with?

Kite2010

dawyldthing wrote: »

i know jason manford told people to boycott somewhere due to there fees. as for secondary tickets its all about timing as i went to the big reunion for 27.50, 5 rows from the front when it should have been 48 each

IIRC It was the 'new' theatre in Oxford.

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The ticket price should come with all non-avoidable bookings fees included in the face-price, plus a charge for postage if postage is selected.

JezR

whatmichaelsays wrote: »

For example, if I used the Vue Cinema website to book a ticket for a film being shown in a Vue Cinema, I'm charged a booking fee on top of my ticket fee. Why? That is where, to me, the idea of a booking fee is needless.

Especially when Cineworld give a 10% discount for online booking.

silverwhistle

stuart1000 wrote: »

Of course, by the time you know anything about these fees you've gone through the whole buying process and there is very little you can do.

I know what I would have done.:D

But £11 for delivery? Was it personally delivered by a white-gloved chauffeur? Convenience fee: WTFlaming eck is that?

Thank goodness they don't charge me for playing my whistle with friends down the pub! If I sell on my football ticket (because I can't make it) I could potentially be done for touting. I'm not in the income bracket to afford even £80, but even if you are, an extra 20% is just completely unwarranted and painful, and causes deep resentment.

whatmichaelsays

JezR wrote: »

Especially when Cineworld give a 10% discount for online booking.

Tend not to use either now (the nearest Cineworlds are in Bradford and Castleford). Everyman Cinema every time these days - a much nicer experience.