Richard Blumenthal says company acts like it has ‘get-out-of-jail-free card’ as records show it upping fees to cut losses

Senators slammed Ticketmaster for raising ticket fees following a regulatory crackdown on hidden charges as revealed in a report by the Guardian last week.

The Federal Trade Commission last May began requiring Ticketmaster to disclose concert ticket fees upfront – a practice known as all-in pricing. The company eliminated the order processing fee it charged at the the end of a transaction to comply with the rule.

But documents obtained by the Guardian in public records requests show how Ticketmaster simply raised other fees so it wouldn’t lose money.

  • MagicShel@lemmy.zip
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    65 found this helpful
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    9 days ago

    Ticketmaster simply raised other fees so it wouldn’t lose money

    Did anyone imagine it would go any other way? That’s like:

    The law: “You can’t sell crack pipes.”

    The store: “I don’t. I sell flowers that come in a complementary crack-pipe-shaped glass container.”

    • foggy@lemmy.world
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      23 found this helpful
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      9 days ago

      Its not for weed, everyone smokes tobacco through a bong-- I mean a glass water tobacco pipe.

  • Pat_Riot@lemmy.today
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    9 days ago

    If I have to pay Ticketmaster to see your band play, I don’t need to see your band play.

    • Default Username@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      9 days ago

      The problem is that they also own the venues. It’s a vertical integration-style monopoly that needs to be regulated out of existence.

      Unfortunately in the US, antitrust law might as well not exist due to lack of enforcement because politicians are paid off.

      • VoodooAardvark@lemmy.zip
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        9 days ago

        The comment you’re replying to is still valid. Will it limit your options of what you can attend? For sure.

  • SGGeorwell@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    Boycott Ticketmaster. Let artists create their own ticketing platform that they control.

  • dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    Wow, weird, if only you guys were in a position to pass laws to make things illegal, and enforce said laws by directing men with guns to show up and force people to stop doing whatever it was.

    Oh well, what are you gonna do, right?

  • JigglySackles@lemmy.world
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    5 found this helpful
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    9 days ago

    I’m sure the browbeating will realllly help. Until fines hurt their profit in a meaningful way, they are just the cost of doing business.

  • thefluffiest@feddit.nl
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    9 days ago

    Looks like Ticketmaster didn’t bribe convince enough senators to see things their way

  • Etterra@discuss.online
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    9 days ago

    I mean this was inevitable. Those idiots clearly don’t live in reality or they’d have banned this at the same time.