According to a study conducted by consumer advocate Which?, fans of live music are being financially impacted by hidden fees that could increase the total cost of concert and festival tickets by up to 25%.
With booking open for big summer gigs, the lobby group has called for a crackdown on the “bewildering” range of extra charges that some of the UK’s biggest ticketing websites impose.
Days after Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour party, announced that if they win the next general election, they will implement a cap on ticket resale prices and increase regulations for resale platforms, the report was released.
The study conducted by Which? examined the charges applied by five top primary ticketing companies: Ticketmaster, See Tickets, AXS, Eventim, and the mobile app Dice.
Ticket websites typically incorporate additional fees into the initial cost and note that there may be extra charges, but the overall price is often not disclosed until further along in the purchasing procedure. This strategy is commonly referred to as “drip pricing”.
During their investigation of a performance by musician Anne-Marie at Cardiff’s Utilita Arena in November, Which? analysts discovered that tickets originally priced at £45 on Eventim and Ticketmaster were subject to additional fees that resulted in a final cost of over £55.
Eventim adds extra charges such as a £1.50 processing fee, a £2.50 delivery and transaction fee, a £5.62 booking fee, and a £1.75 venue levy, ultimately increasing the total cost of the ticket to £56.37. Ticketmaster also includes additional fees of a £6.10 service charge, a £1.75 facility charge, and a £2.75 order processing fee, resulting in a final cost of £55.60.
The researchers also looked into the prices for a soon-to-be concert featuring the pop band Busted on August 23 at Dreamland in Margate, Kent. The tickets were originally priced at £49.50.
When purchasing tickets on See Tickets, a £7.55 fee is charged for a single ticket. An additional fee of £1.50 is also charged for e-ticket/fulfillment services, along with a £1 processing fee, making the total cost £59.55. Eventim charges a booking fee of £4.95, a £2.50 e-ticket fee, and a £1.50 processing fee, resulting in a final price of £58.45.
According to the consumer body, Dice’s pricing policy was the most transparent. They only charged a single additional fee of £6.05 for the Busted concert, which was clearly stated on the first page customers saw. This brought the total price to £55.55, including all fees.
Director of policy and advocacy at Which?, Rocio Concha, denounced “these deceptive gradual price increases” and noted, “It’s understandable that music enthusiasts may sometimes feel like they are being deceived.”
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The organization announced that new laws will provide individuals with better understanding. The bill for digital markets, competition, and consumer protection is set to be approved soon and will require any fees that consumers may have to pay to be explicitly stated as part of the total cost.
According to Ticketmaster, the fees charged for events are decided and divided among the clients, who put in their expertise, effort, and funds to make the event possible. Ticketmaster also backs the implementation of a law that mandates transparent pricing for all event-related costs in the industry.
According to Eventim’s UK website, all required fees are clearly stated on the first page of the booking process. No additional fees are included without the customer’s prior knowledge. Eventim only has control over two fees: the fulfilment fee and the processing fee. They also stated that even e-tickets have associated costs due to technology and staff required for event operations.
According to AXS, they believe in being open about fees and have all fee information available on their website. Dice’s app shows customers the complete price upfront to avoid any unexpected charges. Despite not responding to inquiries, See Tickets states on their website that transaction fees cover order processing and ticket delivery/production, while booking fees cover the cost of providing 24/7 booking services and other associated costs.
Source: theguardian.com
