Saturday, April 10, 2010

P. S. to the LA Opera

You're going to charge me an $8 (eight dollar) per ticket fee?? You're really trying to discourage people from buying single tickets over the web, I see. I mean, someone purchasing a pair of $40 tickets winds up paying $16, a 20% fee, at that rate. We call this usury where I come from. Other companies change a per order fee of around $8 or $9.

Honestly, people. Try making it easier for people to buy tickets, not harder and more expensive!


y2k said...

Ummm... Lisa, I don't think so. Not that I'm happy with those fees, but it's the same for the Met and for Telecharge (and probably the same for TicketMaster).

The Met charges $7.50 per ticket; plus $2.50 facility fee. So, for a $20 family circle ticket, one ends up paying $30; a 50% mark-up.

Telecharge charges $7 per ticket. I just used it to buy 2 tickets to a Broadway show.

These venues do this because the can do so. Who has the time and energy (even if they live in the same city) to head to the box office between 10-6 to buy tickets in person?

Again, I agree it's highway robbery, but just want to say that LA opera is not alone.

To say one good thing about LA opera though... I had bought a ticket many months ago for a December performance. It was mailed to me. On my way to LA (sitting on the plane), I suddenly remembered that I had left my ticket at home! Oh the horror I endured during the 6-hr flight!

Armed with my confirmation #, I went to the LA opera box office, and they re-issued my ticket for a $1 fee.

Anyway, I wish the US can adopt the European way - none of the classical music venues charge any service fee; plus they mail the tickets to you in the US for free (or one can just print them out at home, for free as well).

Lisa Hirsch said...

Yep, you're right about the fees at the Met. I even complained about the fees on top of my $15 standing room ticket to Simon Boccanegra two months ago.

I think it's a genuine financial barrier for some people: someone buying five $20 seats at LA, totally $100, then has to pay $35 in fees. It's a psychological barrier to someone like me, who feels nickle and dimed by $8/ticket.

These fees ought to be rolled up into the ticket prices in some reasonably proportional way. It makes no sense for somebody paying $20/ticket and somebody paying $200 ticket to be charged the same flat fee, anyway.

SF Opera and probably the symphony will reissue tickets the way you mention LA did.

calimac said...

New! improved! additional charge if you have carry-on luggage!

Lisa Hirsch said...

That is exactly right!!

Linda said...

I had grudgingly accepted the Met's add-on fees but they went one fee too far. I ordered a ticket via the web site (and I do think they have a fairly user-friendly ordering process) and chose the "print your own ticket" option. I still was charged the $7.50 HANDLING FEE! WTF? I was the one handled the ticket and the expense was on my end with paper and ink (only a few cents but still).

Because of things like this I have decided not to renew my Met subscription (well, that and the fact that my Blue Cross is up to $650/mo) and take my chances on being able to pick up ndividual performances.

Lisa Hirsch said...

Oh, BAH, Linda. How frustrating and annoying!!

Good luck with the individual tickets. In my experience, it's almost always possible to get single tickets even to sold-out performances. I got in at the last minute to see Martha Argerich and the Ligeti Requiem by calling SF Symphony for returns...