The Stage

MPs unite to challenge Ticketmaster’s additional fees and charges

Published Tuesday 19 February 2008 at 14:40 by Alistair Smith

Ticketmaster has come under fire from MPs who have passed a motion challenging the additional charges levied by the agency on theatre and opera tickets.

Politicians from all three main parties have signed the early day motion which “noted with concern the practice of Ticketmaster.” The EDM has so far attracted more than 40 signatories in the House of Commons.

It complains “the advertised price of tickets does not include a booking fee levied on each ticket in addition to another charge per ticket when customers collect their tickets” and says because some companies only sell tickets through Ticketmaster, consumers are left with no alternative but to pay the extra fees.

The motion calls on Ticketmaster to “advertise clearly the additional prices they charge… so that consumers are not misled.”

Ticketmaster UK managing director Chris Edmonds insisted the organisation was transparent about all the charges applied when customers booked a ticket.

He said: “Any fees associated with the purchase of a ticket from Ticketmaster are clearly visible to the consumer prior to their acceptance. Likewise, in many cases Ticketmaster is one of a number of agents selling an allocation of tickets for a theatre or show. Here, the consumer has the choice to shop around or buy tickets direct from the venue box office where booking fees are not applied.

“As an authorised ticket agent, and a founding member of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers, all fees charged to consumers are agreed in consultation with clients, and are in line with the fees charged by other primary ticketing agents.”

However, one of Ticketmaster’s main rivals Seetickets voiced its support for the agency. Seetickets managing director Nick Blackburn said that he found the MPs’ complaints “baffling”. He added: “I don’t understand why, having spent two years unsuccessfully lobbying MPs to legislate over the rip offs by secondary ticket touts, they then attack a primary agency which in general does display its charges clearly. I’m absolutely baffled and I will be contacting the MP concerned.”

The development comes soon after Ticketmaster became the first primary ticketing agent to enter the secondary ticket market, through its purchase of Get Me In, which serves as a ‘marketplace’ in which to buy and sell theatre and concert tickets.