ticketmaster rip off

mazipindahouse

i bought 5 tickets to westlife and was told i would be charged 10% for using a debit card (which is cash so i thought) but i was charged 14% i have rang several times but noone can give me an explanation is there anyone out there thats had the same problem

Paul_Herring

Guardian reporters have had similar gripes regarding the rip-off nature of ticket booking offices (but not necessarily being charged more than they were told.) See:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2007/dec/01/consumeraffairs.moneysupplement2

Anetares

Hiya,

If they stated there would be a 10% charge then I think you just have to pay it, if you chose to use their service... But usually debit cards don't attract much of a surcharge from retailers. It's not quite like cash, Visa still charge the company a processing fee, but usually its a lot lower than for credit cards, which is why, I think, it wouldn't normally get passed on to the consumer.

When calling, I wouldn't be asking for it to be explained, I would ask for them to refund the whole processing surcharge as a good will gesture. I sincerely doubt you're the only person affected by this sort of thing. At the very least they should refund the random 4% extra. In the US they are somewhat known for a practice of randomized ticketing surcharges, some bands have tried to call them to account for this but they dominate the market so much it's hard to fight.

mazipindahouse

hi
yeah i did accept the 10% because i wanted the tickets it was only when i got home and worked out how much everyone owed me that i noticed the extra 4% thanks for your input i will contact them by post and ask for a refund

Paul_Herring

Anetares wrote: »

If they stated there would be a 10% charge then I think you just have to pay it, if you chose to use their service... But usually debit cards don't attract much of a surcharge from retailers. It's not quite like cash, Visa still charge the company a processing fee, but usually its a lot lower than for credit cards, which is why, I think, it wouldn't normally get passed on to the consumer.

You appear to misunderstand the nature of this charge. It isn't a charge for using a [credit card|Visa|Mastercard], it's a 'service' charge made by the ticketing office for selling you tickets. Pure profit since most of them charge it regardless of how you order them. Once case cited in the Guardian was tickets ordered over the phone and posted out incurred exactly the same charge as those ordered over the web and printed by the person ordering. And it's a rip off as mentioned in the Guardian article.

As it happens This Is Money has also picked up on it for one of their campaigns: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/tickets-rip-off

RadoJo

I think it depends - there are charges for using credit/debit cards, usually a flat fee for a debit card and a percentage of the total for a credit card. Some ticket agents also charge a handling fee for postage as well as a 'booking' fee, which has always seemed to be for the privilege of buying something, pure and simple. You need to ascertain which of these you have paid, and which you were warned about before you can work out what has happened!
Good luck...