Purchasing tickets - absolute joke

**DaddyMac** · 10-30-2006, 02:55 PM

So I'm looking into hitting an Iowa Stars hockey game sometime soon. Haven't been there, like to see the place. Get online, checkout prices, seats, etc.

I select 2 center-ice tickets @ $24 a crack. Expensive already for minor league hockey. But anyway....

Seats pop up and sound pretty good. Think I'll pull the trigger on it until I see the final line. $63!.

Now I'll admit that my math grades while at ISU weren't the best. But I do know that 2 x $24 tix come nowhere near $63 on their own. So I peruse the details.

$1/per facility fee - usually this is for renovations, upkeep, etc. - the building is brand spankin' new.
$5/per convenience fee. I talked to nobody, nothing needs to be done by facility staff. Who's being convenienced here? More to the point, who's getting off cheap?

$3 total order charge. See previous.

Here's the kicker. "Will-Call" pickup is free. Print at home ticketing is $2.50. Now they don't have to do a damn thing for print at home, whereas they have to print and handle Will-call tix - yet somehow they charge for this absence of service.

And management down at the Iowa Events Center complain about attendence.!.!.!.!

End vent.

**cycloneworld** · 10-30-2006, 02:59 PM

I know what you mean man. Those "convenience" charges are the least bit convenient. The ticket sellers (Ticketmaster, etc.) have a monopoly and charge you outrageous fees.

I can see the $1 facility fee...we want the thing kept up and looking nice but $5 convenience fee and then an order fee on top of that is just stupid.

It's almost cheaper to buy tickets on ebay. Especially if the tickets aren't in high demand. I paid $75 to go to the Green Day concert a year ago...the face value was $50 but with all of the fees it was like $67 so I really didn't pay too much for them!

**ISUFan22** · 10-30-2006, 03:08 PM

Why not just build all of this crap in the cost of your tickets? That way, there is no bait-n-switch type tactic.

**TheHelgo** · 10-30-2006, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by DaddyMac

And management down at the Iowa Events Center complain about attendence.!.!.!.!

End vent.

I agree with most of your assessment, but don't pin this on anything local. Ticketmaster is running the biggest racket in terms of tickets to events. In STL this summer, they would constantly advertise $19 'advance-purchase' tickets to major concerts at the outdoor pavillion here - commonly stating in their adverts to "get the best seats at this unbelievable pre-sale price". What they didn't tell you was A) There were $12 in fees PER TICKET, and B) The pre-sale seats were not the 'best', or even good - they were typically Level 2 or Lawn seats. Ticketmaster royally sucks, but there isn't much other choice.

**DaddyMac** · 10-31-2006, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by TheHelgo

I agree with most of your assessment, but don't pin this on anything local. Ticketmaster is running the biggest racket in terms of tickets to events. In STL this summer, they would constantly advertise $19 'advance-purchase' tickets to major concerts at the outdoor pavillion here - commonly stating in their adverts to "get the best seats at this unbelievable pre-sale price". What they didn't tell you was A) There were $12 in fees PER TICKET, and B) The pre-sale seats were not the 'best', or even good - they were typically Level 2 or Lawn seats. Ticketmaster royally sucks, but there isn't much other choice.

I don't disagree, dealing with ticketmaster sucks.

But the Iowa Events center isn't through ticketmaster. I might be wrong about that, but Iowa Stars aren't showing up on the Ticketmaster site. This is from Dahlstickets.com, the Events Center website.

**goldmember** · 10-31-2006, 07:57 AM

Just buy them at the door. There are plenty of tickets.

**DaddyMac** · 10-31-2006, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by ISUFan22

That way, there is no bait-n-switch type tactic.

Exactly why they don't do it, I'm sure.

My 5 year old niece called me a couple years ago. "Dora is going to be at your house, will you take us?". Got online, saw the price. Sure, I can swing that.

Start to work through getting a number of tickets. I think it was 6 at about $35 a crack (that Dora is rich little b!tch). By the time all was said and done, I was charged somewhere in the neighborhood of $250-260. The fees were in excess of $40.

I've finally had it drilled through my head that it's worth the 20 minutes and go down to the Civic Center and get them at the window. The stupid thing is that this online route should be cheaper for the ticketer, but they discourage that by over charging.

**C.John** · 10-31-2006, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by DaddyMac

Exactly why they don't do it, I'm sure.

My 5 year old niece called me a couple years ago. "Dora is going to be at your house, will you take us?". Got online, saw the price. Sure, I can swing that.

Start to work through getting a number of tickets. I think it was 6 at about $35 a crack (that Dora is rich little b!tch). By the time all was said and done, I was charged somewhere in the neighborhood of $250-260. The fees were in excess of $40.

Same thing happened when we took the kids to see Dora a few years ago near Green Bay...she stole my wallet and demanded $140 for tix and $12 per ticket in extra fees...was not worth it...