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I went to a concert recently where the advertised ticket price was $15. I started to buy a ticket online, but when I checked out, Ticketmaster had added a service charge AND a convenience charge to my order, making the $15 ticket $25. Well, I’m no fan of Ticketmaster and those charges are excessive, but “whatever the public will pay”, right? I canceled the order. I won’t pay the $10. But this isn’t about Ticketmaster.

The day of the show, I walked up to the box office and said I would like to get in.
“$18″ said the sales clerk.
I said, “No, the price is $15.”
“Plus a $3 service fee.”
I said, “A fee for what?”
“Ticketmaster”
“I don’t want a ticket, I just want admission.”
“That’s $18,” she repeated.
“No – it’s $15.”

I knew it was a losing battle and not even the right person to be battling with, but I thought it was useful to give her a hard time anyway. Maybe it will transmit up to her manager.

As a pre-sale condition of ticketing, I get it. Charge all the fees you can get away with. But when I walk up to the gate, I should be able to get in for the advertised price. I do not need a physical ticket – it serves no purpose. That’s product tying, the way I see it. And it’s a violation of the Clayton Antitrust Act, if I want to get all fake-lawyery. If I can’t buy product A (admission to concert) without also purchasing product B (worthless piece of paper), you are violating the law.

A salesman said to me once, “Pigs get fed, but hogs get slaughtered.”

Adding up the $15 and two overpriced beers, $3 is a drop in the bucket. But it’s not inconsequential. A relatively small amount can cause massive dissatisfaction to a customer. Charge me $3 today, lose me on a $50 sale next week.