Ticketek transaction fees outrageous

Forums › Off topic › Ticketek transaction fees outrageous

1 | 2

nickd

447 posts

Ultimate Geek

#409025 24-Nov-2010 17:21

*sigh* I remember when it was only $4 fees for my greenday ticket...

tristanb

89 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

#409065 24-Nov-2010 18:42

From The Simpsons:

Mr. Burns: (chuckles) And to think, Smithers, you laughed when I bought TicketMaster. "Nobody's going to pay a 100% service charge."
Smithers: Well, it's a policy that ensures a healthy mix of the rich and the ignorant.

This practice is price gouging, and I think that fares like this should be incorporated into the ticket price. People make the decision to go to a concert for $80, and then when they try to buy a ticket it costs $120!

By hiding the Ticketek fee it upsets supply and demand (basically by lying to and/or tricking consumers). This means there is no incenctive to have a low ticket dispensing price, because people have already made the decision to buy. Because the ticket will be sold anyway the promoter of an event has no incentive to chose a cheaper ticket agent, and there is no drive for ticket agents to have lower prices.

To the person who said that "businesses have the right to make a profit".. That's completely untrue! Businesses should try to make a profit, but if it can't, it can't be dishonest to make a profit.

Ticketek is a horrible business, and I wish the Commerce Commission would get rid of these greedy third parties.

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek

#409071 24-Nov-2010 18:51

jofizz:
ockel: Is that like finding a fare from Auckland to Sydney/Melbourne for $128 one way and finding out that theres another $96 of fees/taxes on top of that?

How dare they advertise in such a way! *

*unless they add that little extra star that says "plus applicable fees/taxes/other charges".

Kinda of like an advertised price + booking fee.

I think this is exactially the same problem. The fees and taxes are not optional.
There is no way to purchase the fare without incurring the fees, therefore they should be incorporated into the fare price.

What if a petrol station advertises...

PETROL 65c per litre*

*plus excise tax (40%), acc levies (10%), delivery surcharge (4%) and GST (15%), total price per litre $1.72

(I know that doesn't add up, it's just an example).

Why is OK for some products/services (i.e. airfares, concert tickets) to obfuscate the total price?

Cheers,
Joseph.

I guess because in the case of the tickets the fee is the same no matter how many you buy. (At least, ithas been when I have bought tickets). i.e. you pay per transaction, not per ticket.

IOW, if you buy 1 ticket @ $40, then the total cost is $40+$20=$60. But if you buy 4 tickets @ $40 you actually only pay $40 x 4 +$20= $180. So your total cost per ticket is actually different. ($60 vs $45).
So they can't advertise the fully inclusive price because it changes depending on how many tickets you actually buy.

jaymz

1133 posts

Uber Geek

#409096 24-Nov-2010 19:38

tristanb:

This practice is price gouging, and I think that fares like this should be incorporated into the ticket price. People make the decision to go to a concert for $80, and then when they try to buy a ticket it costs $120!

By hiding the Ticketek fee it upsets supply and demand (basically by lying to and/or tricking consumers). This means there is no incenctive to have a low ticket dispensing price, because people have already made the decision to buy. Because the ticket will be sold anyway the promoter of an event has no incentive to chose a cheaper ticket agent, and there is no drive for ticket agents to have lower prices.

To the person who said that "businesses have the right to make a profit".. That's completely untrue! Businesses should try to make a profit, but if it can't, it can't be dishonest to make a profit.

Ticketek is a horrible business, and I wish the Commerce Commission would get rid of these greedy third parties.

I can draw similarities to this and to most other online shops.

When you go to purchase the item, you are prompted for differnent shipping options/prices.

To say it is dishonest is foolish, they are not hiding it, they are not charging you for it without your knowledge!

You have a choice people, buy it or don't buy it. As it stands, there are loads of people who don't mind and will pay. as long as those people exist then this will continue to happen.

For those who say it is dishonest, Can you give me a reason why it is dishonest?

josephhinvest

1543 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#409212 24-Nov-2010 22:20

NonprayingMantis:
jofizz:
ockel: Is that like finding a fare from Auckland to Sydney/Melbourne for $128 one way and finding out that theres another $96 of fees/taxes on top of that?

How dare they advertise in such a way! *

*unless they add that little extra star that says "plus applicable fees/taxes/other charges".

Kinda of like an advertised price + booking fee.

I think this is exactially the same problem. The fees and taxes are not optional.
There is no way to purchase the fare without incurring the fees, therefore they should be?incorporated?into the fare price.?

What if a petrol station advertises...

PETROL 65c per litre*

*plus excise tax (40%), acc levies (10%), delivery surcharge (4%) and GST (15%), total price per litre $1.72

(I know that doesn't add up, it's just an example).

Why is OK for some products/services (i.e. airfares, concert tickets) to obfuscate the total price??

Cheers,
Joseph.

I guess because in the case of the tickets the fee is the same no matter how many you buy. (At least, ithas been when I have bought tickets).? i.e. you pay per transaction, not per ticket.

IOW, if you buy 1 ticket @ $40, then the total cost is $40+$20=$60.? But if you buy 4 tickets @ $40 you actually only pay $40 x 4 +$20= $180.?? So your total cost per ticket is actually different. ($60 vs $45).
So they can't advertise the fully inclusive price because it changes depending on how many tickets you actually buy.

This is certainly a valid point, i don't know either way if Ticketek charge the fee per ticket, or per transaction.

I recall grumping in a previous thread about the then Village cinemas that charge a $1 booking fee per ticket, buying 4 tickets means paying 4 booking fees. ( I'm pretty sure this is correct?)

If the Ticketek fee is indeed per transaction and not per ticket, this does seem more reasonable.

Cheers,
Joseph

Asmodeus

1015 posts

Uber Geek

#409218 24-Nov-2010 22:33

NonprayingMantis:
Asmodeus:
johnr: How dare they make a profit

Still a rip off if they trumpet about how the tickets are "ONLY $40" when they aint

$20 for pickup is bull crap

presumably then you are an accountant or senior manager who has worked at Ticketek and is fully aware of their cost structure and how much profit they make.

If you aren't, I don't really see how you can possibly be qualified to say that $20 is a ripoff.

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But it seems rather presumptuous to make that claim if you have no knowledge of their P&L.

No Im not an accountant, I just think that advertising a $60 ticket at $40* or charging $20 to "pick up" your tickets is poor form. Just say $60 and be done with it.

And $20 seems excessive doesn't it? (If that is the true fee JUST to pick up your tickets). It's never been that high in the past. I may have been paying that same money when buying tickets in the past but it was never described as being the fee to "pick up" your ticktets. It just seems odd

BrentR

1315 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#409227 24-Nov-2010 22:55

You do realise that Ticketek are passing on theirs fee's as that is what the promoter has requested.

There are costs associated with issuing a ticket, the promoter has the option of having that cost as part of the ticket price, or as an addition to the ticket price. Should the blame be aimed at U2 and it's touring agents instead of just Ticketek?

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

CYaBro

4586 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#409246 25-Nov-2010 00:22

Perhaps the pick up charge is so high is because the concert is tomorrow night so they have extra costs getting tickets printed and ready for collection before then?

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

bazzer

3438 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#409247 25-Nov-2010 00:22

The thing is that ticketek doesn't always charge $20, so there must be something more to it. I suspect the promoter wants to make the most of the fact that tickets are as cheap as $40! It mostly sucks if you only want to buy one ticket.

Of all the stories I hear about overseas, I'm reasonably happy with the charges on tickets here. They're not usually too exorbitant.

wmoore

510 posts

Ultimate Geek

#409256 25-Nov-2010 02:38

BrentR: You do realise that Ticketek are passing on theirs fee's as that is what the promoter has requested.

There are costs associated with issuing a ticket, the promoter has the option of having that cost as part of the ticket price, or as an addition to the ticket price. Should the blame be aimed at U2 and it's touring agents instead of just Ticketek?

Yes BrentR is correct, it is the promoter who sets the prices. The low ticket price is simple marketing 101
draw people in with a lower price and has long as the fees are advertised then I don't see a problem.

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -
-- Abraham lincoln

1 | 2