Ticketmaster is one of the largest primary ticket outlets and marketplaces for tickets to live entertainment events. Founded in 1976, it sells tickets for concerts, sports games, theater shows, and more. However, Ticketmaster has also faced a lot of criticism over its high fees and alleged anti-competitive practices.
The Pros of Buying from Ticketmaster
Here are some of the advantages of using Ticketmaster:
- Large inventory – As one of the biggest ticket sellers, Ticketmaster has tickets to most major concerts, games, and shows. So you’re likely to find what you’re looking for on their site.
- Official source – For many big events, Ticketmaster is the official and exclusive ticket source. So it will have tickets when other sites don’t.
- Secure purchases – Ticketmaster uses encryption and other security measures to protect your purchase info. This helps avoid fraud.
- Refunds/exchanges – Ticketmaster offers refunds or exchanges for tickets in many cases, such as event cancellations or postponements.
- Fan presales – Ticketmaster often handles presales for fan clubs and credit card holders, giving you early access to tickets.
- Special promotions – They regularly offer special deals and promotions like discounted tickets or ticket + merch bundles.
In summary, Ticketmaster makes it easy to get tickets even for hot events and provides peace of mind thanks to security, refunds, and being an official ticket source.
The Cons of Buying from Ticketmaster
However, there are also some downsides to Ticketmaster that should be considered:
- High fees – Ticketmaster is notorious for exorbitant service and processing fees that can add 25-40% to ticket prices.
- Dynamic pricing – Ticket prices fluctuate based on demand, so prices often go up closer to the event date.
- Lack of price transparency – All the fees are only revealed at the end of the purchasing process, leading to “sticker shock.”
- Scarce ticket availability – Many tickets sell out nearly instantly due to pre-sales or being reserved for resellers.
- Reseller issues – Ticketmaster has been accused of colluding with scalpers and enabling ticket resales at inflated prices.
- Technical problems – The site has gone down during major presales due to high demand, preventing ticket purchases.
- Poor customer service – Customers frequently complain about poor experiences with Ticketmaster’s customer service department.
In summary, the high fees, lack of transparency, scarcity of tickets, and technical issues often frustrate customers. There are concerns that Ticketmaster prioritizes profit over fair access to tickets.
Ticketmaster Fees and Pricing
One of the biggest complaints about Ticketmaster is their fees. A breakdown of the types of fees they charge:
| Fee Type | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Service fee | Charged per ticket for Ticketmaster’s service |
| Order processing fee | Charged per order for processing the order |
| Facility charge | Fee set by the event venue |
| Convenience charge | Added for phone, mobile, or box office purchases |
| Delivery fee | For mailing or will call pickup |
These fees can add anywhere from 25% to over 40% to the base ticket price. The exact fees paid depend on the event, ticket type and quantity, and delivery method.
In addition, Ticketmaster utilizes dynamic pricing. This means ticket prices adjust according to supply and demand. In general, prices tend to rise as an event approaches and fewer tickets remain available. Popular and high-demand events also command higher dynamic prices.
Alternatives to Ticketmaster
If you want to avoid Ticketmaster’s high fees and confusing pricing, here are some alternative places you can purchase tickets:
Official Box Offices
Purchasing directly from the box office of a venue or stadium is one way to bypass fees. However, box office hours are usually limited and they may have a smaller inventory of tickets if they’ve allocated much of their stock to Ticketmaster.
Band or Artist Websites
Many musicians and bands sell tickets through their own websites. These are often sold directly through the band without any middlemen, so there are no added service fees.
Secondary Resale Sites
Online ticket resale marketplaces like Vivid Seats, StubHub, SeatGeek, or TicketNetwork can sometimes have tickets available for lower prices than Ticketmaster. But buyer protections may be weaker on resale platforms.
Membership Presales
Joining fan clubs, venue or promoter email lists, or participating in credit card presales allows you to buy tickets directly during presales before the general public on-sale. This can give you first pick of tickets before they sell out.
Is Ticketmaster a Monopoly?
Ticketmaster has faced anti-trust allegations and accusations of being a monopoly in the ticket sales market. The company has acquired several of its competitors over the years. Today it has an outsized influence in the industry.
Key facts about Ticketmaster’s dominance:
- Ticketmaster sells over 200 million tickets per year across 30 countries.
- It is the market leader and top ticketing company in the US with an estimated 80% market share of primary ticket sales.
- Live Nation, the largest concert and event promoter in the US, owns Ticketmaster. This vertical integration gives Ticketmaster exclusive rights to many major venues and tours.
- Ticketmaster has long-term exclusive ticketing agreements with many professional sports leagues and large venues.
- Its competitors in the US include much smaller players like AXS and smaller ticket vendors for specific venues or regions.
- Ticketmaster has been the subject of several anti-trust investigations and lawsuits over the years, though none have curbed its dominance so far.
While Ticketmaster doesn’t have an absolute monopoly, its size and breadth of exclusive deals make it hard for meaningful competition to emerge in many parts of the ticket sales industry.
Is Ticketmaster Good for Buyers?
There are reasonable arguments on both sides of whether Ticketmaster is ultimately good or bad for ticket buyers. Here are some of the key considerations:
Benefits
- Wide selection – No other ticket seller offers access to as many events, venues, teams, etc. So fans have a “one-stop shop” to find tickets.
- Reliability – The site works reliably to process high volumes of sales. And customers can trust they’ll get valid tickets for events they buy.
- Purchase protections – Ticketmaster’s FanProtect Guarantee provides refunds if events are cancelled and helps avoid fake ticket scams.
- Convenience – Integrated ticket + event/travel packages and flexible delivery options add convenience for buyers.
- Exclusive access – Pre-sales and special offers provide opportunities for fans to buy in-demand tickets before the general public.
Drawbacks
- High fees – Excessive fees frequently boost ticket prices 25% or more beyond face value, angering many buyers.
- Scalping – Critics accuse Ticketmaster of enabling scalpers through technical features and high ticket holdbacks/allocations to the resale market.
- Scarcity – Technical glitches and ticket holdbacks make it very hard for fans to buy during initial sales for hot events.
- Dynamic pricing – Raising prices based on demand over time outrages buyers and locks out budget-conscious fans as events approach.
- Deceptive pricing – Partitioning out fees that only get revealed at checkout strikes many as deceptive and misleading.
Conclusion
Overall, Ticketmaster still offers definite benefits in terms of convenience and selection that explain its dominance. But its drawbacks around fees, ticket scarcity, and lack of transparency undermine the ticket buying experience for many customers.
Most fans tolerate Ticketmaster as an obligatory “necessary evil” to gain access to the events they love. Yet the company’s outsized market control also limits consumer power and options.
While Ticketmaster’s grip on the primary market remains strong, the growth of secondary ticket sales and rising competition in that space provides some counterbalance. New technologies like blockchain and smart contracts may further disrupt the space in years to come.
For now, buyers have little choice but to make peace with Ticketmaster in most cases to gain access to premium live events. But being an informed consumer, exploring alternative sales options when feasible, and voicing concerns to regulators may help improve the landscape over time.