Dear Nathan,

This is in reference to your recent statements in Ticketology.

I cannot tell you how much it pleases me that you are listening to us, the consumers. I don’t necessarily have the best view of CEOs. If anything, I think of you going home to your ivory towers via private plane where you are served. You care nothing for anyone except yourselves and your money, which is never enough. However, not enough praise is given to CEOs who aren’t screwing their company and our country over with corruption and deceit. I commend you for your stated actions of coming transparency. I have given you your moment of praise, but I’m afraid I must now inform you of my distaste in your inaction up until this point.

Firstly, what exactly are service charges? I know that the lady/gentleman on the other side of the ticket window/phone center/web site is getting paid. I hung out with one of your employees at Universal Studios and he bought things with money. So, with the establishment of the fact that you are paying your employees, why are you charging service charges? I don’t mean to sound condescending but even if I do, you have chided millions upon millions of your customers by deceiving us into thinking that the face value of the tickets you sell is in fact the actual cost to purchase a ticket. I cannot tell you how absolutely infuriating it is to have fee upon fee appended to events that I really want to go to. I understand you need to get paid, but do you also need to rape your customers over a hot bed of coals?

For the record, I have used your site many times over the past year. Since moving to L.A., I have purchased tickets to see La Roux, Owl City (twice), Glee Live, and Marina and the Diamonds. This list could have included Drake, Rent, and Lady Gaga. I will admit that the upfront cost of the shows I did not attend was off-putting, but the fees definitely did not help and sealed the deal for my decision to not go.

At this point, allow me to run through the process of purchasing a ticket to Lady Gaga’s March 28th concert at the Staples Center. Her average review of 2,798 on your site is five stars, a HUGE selling point for anyone who hasn’t seen her live. Let’s see if that’s worth the final cost.

I have selected one adult ticket at any price. The seat that is first offered to me is in Section 102 in Row 9, the lower level above the general admission floor area. The price for the ticket is $181.50, right? Quite a pretty penny, but she performs here only a few times a year, once for most cities. But now, you have added a service charge of $19.65. If I wanted to go with a friend or friends, that charge multiplies to $39.30, then $58.95, and then $78.60 for a party of four.

What exactly is so convenient/servicing for me to get charged nearly $20 just to use your service? Am I not already supplying you with business for purchasing the ticket?

And it doesn’t end there. No, no, no. The UPS types of delivery range from $18.50 to $25.00. And if I chose to forgo the UPS route, WHY does it cost $2.50 PER ticket to print my tickets out on my own printer with my own ink and my own paper?

AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

People who are open to other genres of music are easily alienated by the high costs made astronomical by these fees. My friend invited me to see Kings of Leon in the garden section at the Hollywood Bowl, and I immediately declined because of the cost. Sure, it would have been fun to join two of my good friends in an experience that could have easily changed my view on a band I was unfamiliar with, but my aversion to these fees are so ingrained that I immediately decline anything I am not super interested in because of the end cost.

Your updated policy on refunds is a sheer stroke of brilliance. It does two things. First, it obviously allows us to rethink a bank-breaking impulse buy within the nice window of 72 hours. Secondly, it promotes your image as a company who isn’t S.O.L.ing their customers. You are not my local comic book store, and you have the capacity to resell your products quickly and easily. I don’t think there have been any purchases on Ticketmaster that I truly regretted and would have refunded if it were available, but having the option truly promotes the idea that you are a business who cares about its customers.

The point of this is to continue voicing an opinion that you have already heard, and one that I hope will result in serious change. Fees that are tacked on while using a service to which we are supplying our business is NEVER a good idea. When you buy your coffee, you are charged the listed price. When you get work on your car, you are charged for parts and labor but no fees. When you buy any items in this country, you shouldn’t have to pay any hidden fees for that item (unless it’s for protecting the environment). Service charges do nothing for the environment, and they only alienate me as a consumer. I anxiously await the changes you have stated are coming.

Sincerely,

Allan Stackhouse