"Service" charges on ticket bookings.

[RobDavies]

I don't mind too much if it's a quid here and there but a total of £9-00 to pick tickets up at a venue.....

....That's really taking the piss. The ticket costs amount to £28. This is with See Tickets......


OVERKILL at Carling Academy Islington in London on MON, 18/08/2008, doors at 19:00, starts at 19:30.

You have requested 2 standing ticket(s) at £16.10 each (including booking fee of £2.10 per ticket).
There is a transaction fee of £4.80 for this order

The total amount charged will be £37.00.

This is with Ticketweb (slightly better but still SO wrong)


Your Order:


You are about to purchase 2 ticket(s).

1 Overkill
Monday, August 18 at 7:00 PM
at Carling Academy Islington
Amount Qty Subtotal
Processing Fee: 1.50
14.00 2 28.00
Service Charge: 3.50
Total for this Event: 33.00

[boogie man]

I agree, it is piss taking of the highest degree. They already charge an admin fee, so why the extra fee as well? Mean Fiddler used to be the biggest culprits...they whacked an enormous extra precentage on their tickets (even the phone operators sounded nervous when they told you about the extras)

At least they have the semi-decency not to call it a "convenience charge" like in the US.

[minky_monkey]

The one thing that infuriates me, is when they charge £4 postage on EACH ticket.

And then send them to you in a SINGLE FUCKING ENVELOPE.

Bloody criminal, you buy four tickets and get charged £16 for the bloody postage.

[boogie man]

Originally Posted by minky_monkey

Bloody criminal, you buy four tickets and get charged £16 for the bloody postage.

...which still only costs them about 80p anyway. Robbing fuckers.

[Pendragon]

Too true. I bought my daughter and her boyfriend tickets to go and see 'Oliver', in January 2009, and the two tickets cost me £150 by the time the ticket agency had put the booking fee, transaction fee, etc. on the bill

At least Dick Turpin thanked you after robbing you, these twats didn't even send me a thank you note, just two tickets stuffed in a cheap envelope.

[Misanthropy]

it sucks but you have a choice you can either buy the tickets and go to the event or not bother.

I think festival tickets are a rip off because I'm going to the metallica day at reading and the day ticket alone is £67 then they add a booking fee and then a transaction fee on top of that which brings it up to £76.95, thats almost £10 thats going into the pockets of see tickets or ticketmaster or whoever but I'm not really complaining because I get to see the two bands I love again

[Myranda_Rose]

You could also try buying tickets on the door... and save all the costs.

Many venues allow you to buy the ticket in advance (paying a booking fee) but collect on the night saving the postage

[suityou316]

Originally Posted by Myranda_Rose

You could also try buying tickets on the door... and save all the costs.

The venue has to be open to do this though.
I work 10 minutes walk from Brixton Academy, so in theory should be able to pop down and buy tickets without incurring loads of charges. However, the box office is only open when there is a gig on and only opens a maximum of 30 minutes before the doors open.
I finish work at 3pm and am not going to hang around for hours.
I bought my Alter Bridge tickets when I went to see Velvet Revolver and as I paid cash I only paid the face value of the tickets, no booking fee, transaction fee or other shite.
But if I had paid by card then I would have had to pay about £2 on top.

[duotone]

Agreed they are all a bunch of tossers.

The best value ticket place I found if you need them posted I was www.gigantic.com

[RobDavies]

Originally Posted by Myranda_Rose

Many venues allow you to buy the ticket in advance (paying a booking fee) but collect on the night saving the postage

That's exactly what I've done but still got charged £1.50 to pick them up on the night.