Does that come with a Reach Around?
Ok, never mind why I would go see Jimmy Buffett. That’s my issue. For anyone who’s never gone, it’s kind of like a one day spring break for 30 something’s. That’s the best sales pitch I’ve got. If it’s not for you, then I don’t think ill convince you.
No, my issue here is not about mid-life crises being lived out in a parking lot, it’s about the ridiculous nature of ticket pricing.
If you live in Boston, scalping is just the way things get done. Its been overlooked by cops, the AG and everyone else, so we’re sort of used to paying a fortune for Red Sox and other sports tickets. Its just a way of life (although my friend got arrested last year as one of 5 people for “scalping tickets” on opening day…the reality was that we were trying to sell some extras we had bought on Stub Hub. We paid 200 bucks for them and were trying to sell for 100…the red sox agreed not to press charges and it was dropped…gee thanks.)
Ok, so a lawn seat for buffet is 28.50. Seems reasonable. A little over a hundred bucks to bring my girl and another couple. Then we add in the venue fee…what the F#$% is a venue fee? I mean, I understand that some sort of venue is required, but why do I have to pay to use it? Isn’t that’s like driving through McDonalds for a 99 cent double cheese burger, then finding out that the actual cost is $1.50 because of a “speaker fee” to use the drive up? Whats next? An electicity fee? “We’ll those guitars aren’t going to amplify themselves ya know”
Shouldn’t they just add this into real price of the ticket? (It’s 7.50…per ticket…a 28% markup) Would a $35 dollar ticket really put him out of his “everyman” image? They already have like 140 dollar section up front - You’re not fooling anyone, James.
So that’s a 25% increase over face value. But wait, there’s still more. We have a “convenience fee”…oh yeah…thats only $12.10 PER FREAKIN Ticket.
Now, I remember when that used to be a little something they stuck on the end of a bill to cover the cost of setting up a little shop and actually printing out tickets…maybe a couple bucks a piece. But now, their just insulting us…$12.10 per ticket??? For a ticket you’re going to email to me? Actually a, its a ticket that computer program -- created by a guy in India that you are paying less than 12.10 per hour -- is going to send to me.
Does the price include sending someone to my house to assist me should my laser printer jam up? What if it does get jammed and I get toner on my dress shirt? Can I send them an “inconvenience fee” for dry cleaning? Can I mark it up 7 bucks for a venue fee? (the dry cleaning guys got to have some place to work out of, right?).
Over all, a $28.50 ticket is marked up 42.5% for “convenience” and 26.5% for “venue fees”. Didn’t Pearl Jam start this company a while back to fight against Ticketmaster’s outrageous fees? Nice work. Apparently we are now paying for the legal fees that were incurred during that law suit.
Is it a coincidence that the markup is 69 percent? I think not, I think its just Live Nation’s version of foreplay because in the end they know were the ones getting F-cked.
Over all, a $28.50 ticket is marked up 42.5% for “convenience” and 26.5% for “venue fees”. Didn’t Pearl Jam start this company a while back to fight against Ticketmaster’s outrageous fees? Nice work. Apparently we are now paying for the legal fees that were incurred during that law suit.
Is it a coincidence that the markup is 69 percent? I think not, I think its just Live Nation’s version of foreplay because in the end they know were the ones getting F-cked.
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