How $49 becomes $68.50 or how sports tickets rip us all off

from JoeUser Forums
So the Washington Nationals are in town this weekend and Sunday happens to be one of the Pepsi (oh, how I hate typing that name, as I really hate the rancid drink) Family Four Pack discount ticket deal days. It's a promotion that entails getting 4 tickets to the game (upper deck, cheapie seats), 4 hot dogs (over priced that they are, having already used the word rancid above, I can't comment on the fact that it seems many of the dogs at RFK seem like left overs from back in the days when the Redskins played there, but oh well), 4 soda pops (I can't bear typing that darn P---- word again), and 4 bags of chips for a discounted price of $49.

It's designed for family outtings, so that sports fans can take the whole family to the game, feed them, and not break the bank doing it. Not bad, considering that the ticket prices just for the game would normally wind up in the same general price range, so it's as if you're getting the food for free if you take advantage of the discount deal.

Being a great fan of the Nationals, and an even bigger fan of being cheap, ooops, I mean thrifty, I discussed possibly going to the game with my son as he has a friend he wanted to take to a game soon. We decided between us to go for it, and I went online (as I normally do) to get the tickets ordered. I hit the web site, find the links for getting the discounted tickets and proceed. No problem, it shows the right price, leaves me a little confused about where we get the food coupon books or whatever is needed, but reading further I see that info and continue the ordering process.

This is where the money grows exponentially in favor of the team and/or the Ticket selling agency. $12.50 per ticket was right, but then the price goes up as we add fees for the ticket selling agency. By the time we're done, the price has soared up to $68.50. Huh?! I thought the deal was $49. Yeah, right!

I wish Elliot Spitzer and his friends would go after Ticket Master and the other ticket brokers/sellers/agencies and take them down a notch or two for false advertising in ticket sale prices. Though I would love to save more money here, and wish that the price was actually the advertised $49, I don't even really mind the $68.50 price PROVIDED THE PRICE IS ADVERTISED AND ANNOUNCED AS THAT PRICE IN ADVANCE.

Oh well, there used to be a time when prices were actually correctly and properly advertised. I guess that day is long gone.
1,795 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
gosh it sounds like you and my husand had gotten together. He works for a company the makes the Pepsi bottles, and he is a coke drinker, so you can imagine the dirty looks in the lunch room ( or the look of envy ) when he starts to crack open a diet coke.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
Now if it was the Mets, this year?  NO problem!  But I can see your anger.
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Now if it was the Mets, this year? NO problem! But I can see your anger.


Actually Guy, it's a fact of life for all of the sports and entertainment venues. Ticket Master and the other ticket selling agencies are all very highly compensated for their services, normally adding 20% or more to the cost of tickets for sports, concerts, plays or musicals and such. It's disgusting in that they do what Best Buy, CompUSA, Circuit City and other companies do with their blaring headlines offering a 'post rebate' price with a tiny asterisk next to the price, and then some small print saying the actual price is about 800% more than the price that is shown in the large print.

If you have to charge the fees, ok, but make them part of the advertised price, and stop conning everyone into thinking they'll get a good deal that actually costs a lot more.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top

If you have to charge the fees, ok, but make them part of the advertised price,

Oh I agree totally.  But it is the government syndrome.  ALl companies now show you what they get (and advertise it) and then itemize the other fees (usually and mostly taxes) so they can show you who is sticking it to you.

Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
I find this incredibly annoying too. I don't go to many games usually if someone gives us tickets or we just go to a minor league game and buy them at the ticket office but sometimes they sell out. I do like to go to concerts and it kills me how fast those fees add up. Then add the twelve dollars they are going to charge you to park. It ends up being a very expensive evening.

I know pearl jam tried to avoid ticketmaster for one tour a long time ago and I think it was hard for them to find venues that don't use ticketmaster.