Ticket rip off?

[Beef Oven!]

Don't do yourself out of a great gig for the sake of a making a point that won't even register on the radar of those who it is directed towards.

I realise that. But I'm not making a point, I'm just angry. We all get shafted from time to time, but when someone draws you a picture of how you're being butt-f'd, then I say Oi, O2 Arena, No!

We could do with a EU directive about these things

Pack it in, this is a politics-free forum

[pastoralguy]

although we have been in the EU since about 1973, so I guess they either ought to have got round to it by now, or they really don't give a flying one.

Wasn't there an investigation into this nonsense a couple of years ago?

[Beef Oven!]

Wasn't there an investigation into this nonsense a couple of years ago?

Perhaps, but at least this nonsense will be subject to a referendum now.

[Demetrius]

WTF even is a facilities charge, also?

Solidary fee everyone pays for those who want to use the toilet?

[teamsaint]

Solidary fee everyone pays for those who want to use the toilet?

Those who want to, or those who actually do ?

Anyways, Lets hope nobody from Network Rail is reading this, or the will probably charging "50p to pee" at the appropriately named Waterloo.

Oh.........

[Serial_Apologist]

Those who want to, or those who actually do ?

Anyways, Lets hope nobody from Network Rail is reading this, or the will probably charging "50p to pee" at the propriately named Waterloo.

Oh.........

Well certainly not Portaloo because they don't have porters at mainline stations anymore!

[teamsaint]

Well certainly not Portaloo because they don't have porters at mainline stations anymore!

No,can't be so.
You'll be telling us next that the fat controller has taken a gold plated redundancy package.......

[Bryn]

I'm afraid that this sort of thing goes on everywhere these days and most of us just grumble and stump up. I like Beefy's stand and hope the venue knows about it.

Question: out of curiosity does this go on in concert halls abroad or is it yet another example of 'rip-off Britain'?

Not quite everywhere. Cafe OTO used to use and outside agency for pre-booking 'tickets' for its events. The agency charged a booking fee. Cafe OTO now operate their own system. No tickets, just your name on their list, and no booking fee. Oh, and you tend to save compared to paying on the door.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I completely agree with Beef Oven on this one.

It wouldn't be so bad if ticket buyers were given a reasonable choice, but you have no option but to buy through these sharks.

[Beef Oven!]

I completely agree with Beef Oven on this one.

It wouldn't be so bad if ticket buyers were given a reasonable choice, but you have no option but to buy through these sharks.

[MrGongGong]

I completely agree with Beef Oven on this one.
.

Me too
Free Market Capitalism where people are allowed to do whatever they like to make money isn't always a good thing.
The solution isn't more "choice" but folks behaving like the folks at OTO do

[ahinton]

Perhaps, but at least this nonsense will be subject to a referendum now.

Maybe so, but I thought that you said that this is a politics-free forum not so very many minutes ago!

[ahinton]

I completely agree with Beef Oven on this one.

It wouldn't be so bad if ticket buyers were given a reasonable choice, but you have no option but to buy through these sharks.

...other than the Beef option of refusing to but the ticket in the first place.

I too agree with Beefo in that it simply isn't necessary to have hangers-on in the ticket retailing business ramping up extra charges for their own benefit and not that of either the venue or the would-be ticket purchaser, indeed, the Cafe OTO experience mentioned above proves this and I'm sure that it's far from alone in so doing. Private enterprise is all very well, but that kind of capitalist (mal)practice usually tells people that if there's no market for something it will likely fail; in this instance, there is no NEED of a market for this kind of thing.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A simpler version of this is restaurants that impose a percentage surcharge on the bill as a "discretionary serevice charge", which usually means that the punter has to pay it and the only discretionry element of it is that said punter may challenge it if the food, wine and/or service has been particularly bad (whch not all disaffected punters would do in such circumstances because that involves being seen to make a fuss and possibly get enmeshed in acrimonious arguments); I say that this is a simpler version of the same kind of problem insofar as all the monies being paid, including this "extra", are all going to the restaurant itself rather than to third parties. Some restaurants don't do this and instead add it to their advertised prices.

I think this kind of enforced tipping is every bit as bad as the closed-shop ticket touting. Carnival Cruises force all their passengers to pay such a charge on all their cruises. Apparently it's an American "custom". Prices should include the cost of service, at all times.