Service charges a little high?

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

If some of us spent less time typing out long diatribes on internet message boards and more time on actually doing work while at work, we'd probably make more money, and high ticket fees wouldn't matter as much.

Yes. This.

I would've said this to begin with but the entire thread would've gotta yanked if it came from me.

[thatguy]

sometimes, when i see that a patron is about to do something stupid that will result in them being politely asked to leave the club, i'll pull them aside and give them a friendly warning.  some take the information i provide and make a better decision.  those people get to enjoy the show they came to see.  some get all worked up about it and end up making poor decisions.  they end up out on the sidewalk, wishing they had chosen differently. 

i recommend the first option.

just sayin'.

[wml7]

have you ever had to put people in headlocks to get them out 

[hutch]

Absolutely not Seth.

The cost of attending a show- of the ticket- is the TOTAL cost. What you, ticketfly, the artist decide to do with allocating the charges is of no interest to the patron. By the way there is no transparency in having a bunch of charges which we know not for what they go although we are not dumb enough to think they go for the cost of printing and delivering a ticket via first class mail. We are told they are "convenience charge" or something like that but how is that transparent when some of that goes back to the venue etc and no mention of this is even made?

Bottom line is the venues, the ticketmasters of the world exploit the fan who has nobody representing him.. its the law of the west..

But at some point the consumers may organize. that is only the way forward  because if we're going to depend on the kindness and charity or good sense of the club owner's of the world we ain't going to go far.

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

Aren't you too busy organizing boycotts of non-DC venues to organize a boycott of ticketing agents?

[mr_goodbomb]

If you don't want to go to the show because of the price, don't. Seth's just trying to keep his club awesome and have great bands continue to play there.

When Seth has no audience because of practices like this, or at least no audience outside of those right in the heart of DC, then he won't be able to "keep his club awesome," because he'll be broke.

On one hand, yes service charges are a ripoff because surely it costs LESS to sell tickets over the Internet than it does to have a paid staff person sitting in a booth all day collecting money and handing them out.

On the other hand, prices throughout the economy are set according to what the market will bear.  People may bitch and moan, but they pay the fees, and that's the only thing that matters from an economic perspective.  For that reason, service charges will always be with us.

How many of those "bitching and moaning" do you think went ahead and paid for the tickets anyway? Here's a little insight: I didn't. Nor did any of my friends who wanted to see this show.

I think this hits to the root of the issue.  Did you buy the tickets with the charges?  Or did you opt to speak with your wallet and not purchase them?

I didn't purchase them, no. But if I had said nothing, then no one would have known that a ticket, or two tickets, or 1000 tickets, weren't sold for a specific reason.

Plus, do you people bitch when buying items at the store or online that they don't tell you taxes or shipping upfront?  You lot act like once you add the ticket to your cart that you're stuck with hundreds of dollars of fees and no way to back out of it.

No, I understand that shipping and (rarely, because there's a very small chance the place you're purchasing from will be in your state) taxes are part of the total, that total being the TOTAL AMOUNT I'll have to pay, not the total amount the seller claims they'll be making. I also know damn well that, if a seller ships me something that costs 10 dollars, and it costs them 2 dollars to ship it, but they charged me $22, they're not just making $10. They're making the entire sum that I paid minus the ACTUAL cost of shipping, so they've made $30 dollars but claimed it was a bargain because the "item's price" was only $10. Anyone can see through this sort of scheme, and I think very few people who shop online will pay excessive shipping anymore. They'll go someplace where the TOTAL THEY PAY, even if the item costs more but the shipping costs less, is lower. It's as simple as that.

If some of us spent less time typing out long diatribes on internet message boards and more time on actually doing work while at work, we'd probably make more money, and high ticket fees wouldn't matter as much.

I'm not sure who you're out to make a snide remark against here, but while my business is none of yours, I'm not missing out on any money by posting here. However, I would be if decided to quietly pay excessive surcharges.

[gaaaaaaaaah]

You've yet to mention who you're wanting to see.  Perhaps that would change the entire argument.

[vansmack]

When Seth has no audience because of practices like this, or at least no audience outside of those right in the heart of DC, then he won't be able to "keep his club awesome," because he'll be broke.

So you didn't buy the tickets right?

[betao]

everything that the 930 club does wrong, the black cat does right.  

they have reasonable service charges and they sell drinks that normal people can afford.  they have the best nachos on earth.  AND they switched tickets to a company with really low service charges.  

ticketfly has shiny holograms on their printed tickets though.  i like shiny things.

Right, but a lot of things BC does wrong, 9:30 does right - like having an amazing sound system and staff who are not complete jerks (unless you're a Disco Biscuits fan apparently ).  But I still choose the crappier venues most of the time because I can see a lot more shows at their more reasonable prices.

I don't know what you're talking about, BC has fine staff compared to 9:30.

Heres my take on service charges (and yeah, its probably been stated many times before): I dont mind paying $30 for a ticket thats advertised to be $30. I wish that the fees and charges were just included in the advertised price, so it wouldn't be $20 + $10 = 30. Seeing the charges added on like that is what hurts.

I understand its probably a better business move (I'm sure that 20 + 10 mentally looks smaller than 30, and that most people once they've started their checkout will just brush the small fees aside and deal with it), but if it was up to me, I'd rather have the fees included in the advertised price.

[Herr Professor Doktor Doom]

Point #1:   for every occasional person who is actually deterred from buying a ticket because of a service fee, there are probably 10 other people who'll buy that ticket.

In fact, the continued prevalence and succsess for scalping shows that the overall price point for tickets is still pretty low relative to what the market might bear, at least for the most in-demand shows.  For shows that sell out quickly you could probably charge a couple of hundred bucks and still sell out (although it would mean an audience of exclusively douchebags).

Point #2:  Just because you like the 930 is no reason to talk smack about the Black Cat staff.   The ones I've met are all good people.   The Cat's gotten a lot stricter over the years but with the number of kids that come out, combined with the increasingly fussy neighborhood that's no doubt eager to shut them down and install another high-end furniture boutique, they kinda have to be.

[mr_goodbomb]

You've yet to mention who you're wanting to see.  Perhaps that would change the entire argument.

What difference does that make? A show is a show. But as if it'll make any different in the agruement, it's City and Colour, which sold out last year, I believe.

So you didn't buy the tickets right?

I did not, not did any of my friends who planned to go with me for my birthday, and for no other reason than the excess charges.

Point #1:   for every occasional person who is actually deterred from buying a ticket because of a service fee, there are probably 10 other people who'll buy that ticket.

Isn't that a bit tasteless on a business standpoint, though? That's to say that, no matter how we treat customers, they'll still come. Eventually, that will shift. Customers only take so much shit.

Point #2:  Just because you like the 930 is no reason to talk smack about the Black Cat staff.   The ones I've met are all good people.   The Cat's gotten a lot stricter over the years but with the number of kids that come out, combined with the increasingly fussy neighborhood that's no doubt eager to shut them down and install another high-end furniture boutique, they kinda have to be.

I've only been to the Black Cat once, and had no encounters with the staff. I haven't contributed to any of that discussion and dunno who started it, or why. My concern here is 9:30 and their charges.

The $30 VS $20+$10 is pointless. Any venue that charges a certain amount for online ticketing through a 3rd party isn't going to combine those charges because they aren't THEIR charges, and that added cost isn't going to them. Some percentage might, but most of it goes to the 3rd party ticket service, which they simply scarf down as profit. The key is handling these charges yourself with a simpler ticketing service or finding one that costs less. Or being a very poor business model and doing nothing.

[gaaaaaaaaah]

You've yet to mention who you're wanting to see.  Perhaps that would change the entire argument.

What difference does that make? A show is a show. But as if it'll make any different in the agruement, it's City and Colour, which sold out last year, I believe.

It obviously makes no difference.  Your refusal to say who it was was piquing my curiosity, though.

[mr_goodbomb]

Perhaps that would change the entire argument.

It obviously makes no difference.

I just didn't think it was pertinent. However, it could be said that, if it were another band, I'd just see them at another venue and give that same business to someone else. However, he's not in the area for any other dates and goes out of the country right after.

[gaaaaaaaaah]

Sarcasm, dawg.  Of course it's not pertinent.  Other venues would still charge service charges, so that wouldn't be an option either.

They're a part of concerts and ticket buying these days, and that's just how it is.  Right or wrong, they aren't going away any time soon.

[MonkeyPants]

Point #2:  Just because you like the 930 is no reason to talk smack about the Black Cat staff.   The ones I've met are all good people.   The Cat's gotten a lot stricter over the years but with the number of kids that come out, combined with the increasingly fussy neighborhood that's no doubt eager to shut them down and install another high-end furniture boutique, they kinda have to be.

My point about the BC was in response to someone who said everything that 9:30 does wrong, BC does right.  My point was that the things that BC does wrong, 9:30 does right.  While the BC staff could never parallel the rudeness of staff I've witnessed at other area venues, when compared to the 9:30 club staff, I find them to be obtrusive and pushy, shoving their way through with a flashlight every 10 minutes, never saying excuse me if they're coming from behind and you can't see them anyway.  That's just been my experience.  But I'm sure they're all perfectly nice people...I'm not saying they're horrible people.  I just think 9:30 trains their staff better and/or has better policies...except for the flip flops thing...

But this isn't a BC v. 9:30 debate...I was just providing a counterpoint to someone else's argument.  9:30's fees for online ticketing are ridiculous and I don't pay them unless I know the show will sell out immediately and I'm lucky enough to get a ticket online.  Otherwise, I find the fees not worth the "convenience."  I don't think Seth is losing any money by having people not buy tickets because of the fees.  I'm pretty sure the club still has more sold out shows every year than any other venue in the country.