An inconvenience charge
I've got a friend who was interested in going, by himself, to the Angels-Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium on Sunday. Just in buying a $6 top-deck seat, the least expensive one in the joint. Until ...
He navigated to the Dodgers' website , clicked on the schedule link, found the date, and clicked on the little green "T", which gets you right to Ticketmaster.
That sound you hear next is a cash register ringing.
First, for that $6 ticket, there's:
-- a $3 "convenience charge" added. Then,
-- a $3.55 "order processing charge" added. Then,
-- a $2.50 "ticketFast delivery" charge, for those who don't want to pick the ticket up at will-call and would rather print it out on their computer.
Do a little math (carry the one), and now that $6 ticket costs (gulp) $15.50.
Just a 158-percent increase over the original price. How's that for a customer-friendly experience?
Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Would it be less expensive to spend a few gallons of gas and drive up to the team’s ticket window in Elysian Park to order it in person? We can't say.
It's not just a Dodger problem. Go to the Angels’ site and jump through the same hoops for a single $9 family section left-field adult seat (again, the least expensive, outside of a kid's-only seat).
There's a:
-- $3.75 "convenience charge" (75 cents more than the Dodgers)
-- $3.30 "order processing charge (a quarter less than the Dodgers)
-- $1.75 "ticketFast delivery" charge (75 cents less than the Dodgers).
That adds up to a $17.80 entrance pass.
Or, a 98-percent markup.
Ewwwwwwwwwwwww.
Is there a way to buy stock in Ticketmaster? Or there a charge for that? We understand (for the most part) the free-market system, but doesn't this just make a site like StubHub a little more desirable?
With a little research, we find that the baseball online fess are set by MLB.com , with some club input (hence, the discrepancies between the two teams).
Marty Greenspun, the Dodgers exec vp and COO, explained: "While we are always focused on keeping tickets and service charges affordable for all fans, unfortunately at lower price ticket levels it is difficult to keep the convenience fees affordable on a percentage basis of the ticket price. Obviously the online convenience fees are exactly that - for convenience. Fans have the option of avoiding the convenience fees by purchasing their tickets at the Dodger Stadium box office."
Or, fans have the option of staying home, for the convenience of watching it on TV, with Vin Scully. Who has no processing charge.