Comment by zbowling | Hacker News Reader

Comment by zbowling | Hacker News Reader

The dirty secret is that many of these "fees" are actually from the venues and performers. TicketMaster and others are actually taking the heat as the bad guys on behalf of the venues and performers. We hate on TicketMaster and we can put the blame all on them (and the artists and venues sometimes even guide us to do so).

But if it's so bad then why do they keep using TicketMaster? Surely I'm not buying a ticket to a performance only because I can find it on the TicketMaster web page or box office right? They don't really offer anything substantial over the buying experience I can get anywhere else so the monopoly argument is silly (although they do have a good patent portfolio it's not anything can't innovate around).

It's simply because they will take the heat for them when the artists and venues want to tack on extra fees. That is not say TicketMaster's fees are not high but most of the "extra fees" are extras from the venues and performers.

The same goes with Fandango. You think that extra $1 for buying a ticket online Fandangos fee?? Nope. It's the fee for the movie theatre wants.

I've worked in this ticketing industry in a previous startup so I understand the game well. It's not really crazy the stuff that gets pulled.

So you're saying that maybe a law could be passed to identify these kickbacks. Think of an ingredients list on food packaging, where all portions of the fee are accounted for up front.

Well the fees are actually not really "kickbacks" but really just normal fees with standard crazy markups that are vague on who actually gets the money. They aren't required to list out who makes what money on things. They are just not allowed to lie and commit fraud and they do make sure to stay inside those bounds.

"General processing fee" is really just a processing fee as it sounds (but it doesn't say who gets the money, why does that mater? they are not committing fraud by claiming something it isn't).

They have a right to tack on any fees they want and you have the right not to buy it. They could put a fee on there at checkout for making a purchase on a full moon. Whatever, it doesn't mater. Now if they are charging you for fees after you make the purchase of a product or service, you do have some consumer protections but not when they are tacking them on up front.

You are buying a ticket and how the money is used isn't really something that isn't provided. Your only real right as a consumer is to buy or not buy. If you want more info about how money is spent and they won't provide it you have the right to not buy it but you can't force private businesses to be publicly audited.

>Well the fees are actually not really "kickbacks" but really just normal fees

They aren't normal though. Air fares exempted, I can't think of many goods and service that have so many extra fees tacked on to the advertised price.

It's also not "normal" to charge a customer more when they are in fact costing you less (ie. print at home tickets). This may be legal and permitted but it sure as heck isn't "normal" or ethical business practice.

>Your only real right as a consumer is to buy or not buy.

I think most here would agreed it should be your right as a consumer to know the real price upfront. Not much to ask.

What other service do you buy tickets for?

Travel and events are the major ones. Why do you ask?

Ticketing is weird in that the supply chain exists post wholesale. I have worked on both the live and recorded side of the business. I know most of what could be tucked into a "service fee" from recorded.

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