Ticketmaster.su.cks
I want to go to a Strokes* concert.
Tickets -- $32.75. Convenience fee -- $8.75. Processing charge -- $3.50.
It all comes out to a nice round number of $45. An advertised $33 item in reality costs $45. Tack on GST and it's more than 48 bucks.
Now I don't want to sound like Eddie Vedder here, but this is the biggest effing scam in the history of western civilization.
So I figured I'd skip the "convenience" of giving them 12 dollars and I'd go to the box office and buy the ticket from a real live person. In fact, I was advised by the Ticketmaster lackey on the phone to do just that. Unfortunately, doing just that is not possible. I phoned the Corral box office and they told me to phone Ticketmaster for tickets to that particular event. I can't conveniently avoid the convenience charges at all. I must pay for convenience, even if it's inconvenient, and I don't want it.
I'm something of a Cheap Charlie so this really bothers me. Does it bother anyone else? The funny thing is had the Ticketmaster lackey just said "that'll be 45 dollars" I wouldn't have blinked, but she kept interrupting me and tacking on more charges.
Me: How much?
Her: 32.75
Me: okay, Visa number is...
Her: Plus 8.75 convenience charge
Me: Convenience charge?
Her: Plus 3.50 processing charge
Me: Processing charge?
Her: Plus GST
Me: Hey now just hold on a minute here
Her: Total comes to...
I suppose this isn't news**, and years ago I banned Ticketmaster shows for this very reason, but I had some vague idea in my head that things had changed because of a lot of media attention, public outrage and even government involvement. I guess not.
*if you don't like the Strokes and you have something clever to say, make it good or keep yer trap shut
**it's not news, but it is therapeutic public ranting and it's a little less crazy to do it here than on the street corner
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