NR_Ohiobando Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Mr. Komnick is right, it's the company that allows the tickets to be purchased online that is doing the "convenience" charging. In a related story, if I want to pay my college tuition online for my university there is a whopping $30.00 service fee on top of the actual payment, so I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LDSDGg1rc8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny Smith Posted March 25, 2011 Author Share Posted March 25, 2011 Since it's my shows that are being referenced, I'll answer: Convenience fees cover the infrastructure necessary to support the on-line ticketing service that allows fans to select their seat, process their order, and print and mail the tickets to them. So if the convenience fee is for the online ticketing service, will I get charged the fee if I call the office and order and not use the online service? I realize this is a bit of a rant and will not change anything with how everyone does things these days. Even if it is the status quo, I think it is a sorry way to do business. It is a form of bait and switch. At least with the airlines, if I don't want a pillow I can still fly without paying $5 for a pillow. Just add the $3.50 to the ticket price and include any "fees" you need to. You might actually be able to build good will so old cranky women like me will actually put some cash in your fuel can at the souvie booth. Instead I feel like I'm being somewhat deceived by this kind of practice. Sure, people will buy the tickets anyway as they clinch their teeth. But that's just it...you are not putting a good taste in people's mouth. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnZ Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 someone can correct me, but I can't see where any of the DCA shows tack on additional fees to their ticket prices, including championships. different situation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 I have to tell you however... The country as a whole was MUCH MUCH happier when the salespeople ran things. It seems things have been turned over to the CPA's of the world who have ZERO saavy when it comes to making people good about what they pay for ANYTHING... EXAMPLES: 1) Additional baggage fees at the Airlines. Instead of just charging EVERYONE an additional $1.50 per bag in their ticket without telling them you just raise the price $1.50 and all is handled... But what the CPS's do is shove up the YOUKNOWWHAT of the public that you have to pay an additional $25.00 for your bag... X number of dollars for your snack or beverage etc. It is pretty stupid actually. 2) Convenience fees for ticket purchases... It should just be built into the price rather than once again shoving it up the YOUKNOWWHAT of the public... People react better when nothing is forced up their YOUKNOWWHAT and then pointed out to them just how far! What you are advocating is that consumers are, or would be, much happier with a Value Added Tax (VAT) which is built into the price but mainly "hidden" from the public. For example: people do not realize how much added taxes and speculative fees are actually placed on top of the real fuel cost because the public price of gas and diesel contain those "hidden" VATs. Mind you, I have no problems with a company who prints and distributes the tickets from charging a fee for the service; but I also believe that we should know the price of the item "and" also know what up-charge fees and taxes are being placed on top of the actual price. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 What you are advocating is that consumers are, or would be, much happier with a Value Added Tax (VAT) which is built into the price but mainly "hidden" from the public. For example: people do not realize how much added taxes and speculative fees are actually placed on top of the real fuel cost because the public price of gas and diesel contain those "hidden" VATs. Mind you, I have no problems with a company who prints and distributes the tickets from charging a fee for the service; but I also believe that we should know the price of the item "and" also know what up-charge fees and taxes are being placed on top of the actual price. Just reminded me of my new fiber optic phone/internet/TV service. For a year the price is locked in at about $105 a month. After fees (all blamed on the govt') and taxes it's about $25 more. Have two pages of explaination on my monthly bill.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Would it be inappropriate and unlady-like to say that these "convenience fees" that DCI (and others) charge suck? I bought some $10 tickets to the show in Madison and then I get hit with another $3.50 (35 percent!) per ticket from DCI for some kind of "convenience." I'm not sure what that even means? Yeah, yeah...I know...I didn't have to purchase them, but I did because I'm an old softie. You may ask, "hey Grandma, why are you griping? You got $10 tickets you cheapskate!" To which I reply, "Kiss my wrinkled butt! I spent well over $1,000 last year on a show (premium tickets and travel) that was rained out and had the same thing happen the year before. My new personal drum corps policy is that I'm only going to shows within an hour or two of the home and I'm buying the cheap tickets!" I've always hated these "convenience" fees, and they are everywhere. I tried to by MLB tickets the other day, and there were options for delivery: US mail, or print-at-home. Oddly enough, I thought print-at-home would be free, since NO ONE is having to do any work other than myself. But it cost an extra $3 or so for me to use my own paper/ink/electricity. Even weirder, it was free to receive the tickets via US Mail: free for me, to have someone else print out the tickets in glossy color on heavy-stock cardboard, print an invoice, drop them in an envelope, and place them in a mailbox. Crazy! These fees do suck, but they're a fact of life, unfortunately. I assume that whatever companies develop/run/own the programs that electronically process tickets charge their clients (DCI, MLB, etc) a fee to use them, which are then passed onto us. I guess "convenience" comes at a price... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowtown Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 (edited) So if the convenience fee is for the online ticketing service, will I get charged the fee if I call the office and order and not use the online service? Doubtful I often go to the box office to avoid convenience fees and then am met with a box office fee which is still often less. I'm buying tickets at the box office this weekend because for a $29 dollar GA ticket has a $13.50 convenience fee and only a $2 box office fee and Im to pick up 5 extra tickets for my friends whom Ill charge a $10 CowFee, saving them $1.50 per ticket but hey, thats what friends are for…or maybe Ill just charge them cost and make them buy me a drink, which there could be over $10, depending on what Im in the Mooood for True story, bought 6 tickets at the box office, paid $12 in box office fees and a few bucks for parking then the show was canceled so I had to go back to the box office (paid for parking again) and they kept the box office fee. Yeah I got to pay to go out of my way,twice... and park 2 times and still get nothing...…at least the box office person admitted it was lame I think I'll just go back to getting on the list Edited March 25, 2011 by cowtown 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrillmanSop06 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 So if the convenience fee is for the online ticketing service, will I get charged the fee if I call the office and order and not use the online service? I realize this is a bit of a rant and will not change anything with how everyone does things these days. Even if it is the status quo, I think it is a sorry way to do business. It is a form of bait and switch. At least with the airlines, if I don't want a pillow I can still fly without paying $5 for a pillow. Just add the $3.50 to the ticket price and include any "fees" you need to. You might actually be able to build good will so old cranky women like me will actually put some cash in your fuel can at the souvie booth. Instead I feel like I'm being somewhat deceived by this kind of practice. Sure, people will buy the tickets anyway as they clinch their teeth. But that's just it...you are not putting a good taste in people's mouth. Really not that big of a deal. It's the way things are. I don't view the Scouts as any less of an organization for...doing absolutely mundane, normal business, I guess? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bad Bari Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 What you are advocating is that consumers are, or would be, much happier with a Value Added Tax (VAT) which is built into the price but mainly "hidden" from the public. For example: people do not realize how much added taxes and speculative fees are actually placed on top of the real fuel cost because the public price of gas and diesel contain those "hidden" VATs. Mind you, I have no problems with a company who prints and distributes the tickets from charging a fee for the service; but I also believe that we should know the price of the item "and" also know what up-charge fees and taxes are being placed on top of the actual price. EXACTLY... In other words I want to pay the appropriate price for something and I want the company to worry about the cost or costs of doing business instead of trying to make me give a S^($ about it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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