Live Nation to cut lawn-ticket service fees

Yippie!

Who cares?

This just leaves a biger markup for all the scalpers

I recently refused to purchase tickets to a concert due to the fees. The face value ticket price was $65. Live Nation wanted $14.50 in fees, per ticket. For a family of four, we were being asked to [essentially] purchase a fifth ticket. It's a concert I would like to attend, but these "fees" have gotten out of hand, and I can't find any effective method of protest other than a boycott.

This is not a start, its just a move to get people to buy all their tickets on one day just to save on the fees. The entire ticket industry is a joke. If I walk up to a theatre and buy a ticket at the window, I have to pay a parking fee. If I print out the ticket myself, saving them the time and cost of mailing me a ticket, I have to pay a print at home fee convenience fee. Pretty soon they'll start charging me a payment fee for the right to pay for the ticket.

Live Nation and Ticket Master are two monopolies that need to die. People should wake up and start ignoring the shows until these two evil entities go up in flames.

I won't purchase any tickets through either of these companies until they drop their ridiculous prices. Concerts have become way too expensive too. Forget it. It's not worth it.

and I can't find any effective method of protest other than a boycott.

One way to boycott the fees is to go to the actual place and buy the tickets. If everyone did that, TM and LN will go out of business. And if you say that is too far to travel to buy the tickets you are agreeing with TM and LN and are just justifying their crazy charges....

I am so sick of ticketmaster and the like. The fees they add are outrageous. They actually charge your for printing out your own tickets. I go to the box office ahead of time and buy my tickets directly from the venue. A $22.00 ticket will be nearly $40 by the time they are done raping you. I hope the same thing that happened to the record labels charging $17.00 for cd with new technology and communication happens to these greedy bastards. I buy things directly from the artist whenever I can. Maybe myspace or the bands themselves will start selling tickets directly. But if people could be counted on not to trash the venue, the insurance and cleanup fees wouldn't be so high. That also helps drive up the price of tickets.

I am so sick of ticketmaster and the like. The fees they add are outrageous. They actually charge your for printing out your own tickets. I go to the box office ahead of time and buy my tickets directly from the venue. A $22.00 ticket will be nearly $40 by the time they are done raping you. I hope the same thing that happened to the record labels charging $17.00 for cd with new technology and communication happens to these greedy bastards. I buy things directly from the artist whenever I can. Maybe myspace or the bands themselves will start selling tickets directly. But if people could be counted on not to trash the venue, the insurance and cleanup fees wouldn't be so high. That also helps drive up the price of tickets.

What about the people who already purchased their tickets? We get stuck paying the fee?

They call it convenience fee?

It's an additional gouging fee!

Keep paying it and they will keep raising it!

Seems like Live Nation is trying to feed us a line here. They are offering no service charge on lawn tickets only. I get the feeling they will use this ploy later on to make it sound like they waived the service fees for all seats. All in an effort to make these companies sound like they really care. When you charge a person to print out their own tickets, that's robbery.

Actually I went to the venues on a few occasions to purchase the tickets directly and they still applied a conveience fee? I was like but I'm here, how difficult was it for you to lean over and grab some tickets? so there is NO way to avoid the fees.

I will not buy tickets through these overcharging third parties, so it is the performers who sign agreements with these "representatives" who lose my business.

FYI, all lot of those fees, TM and LN splits the fees with the promoters and bands. It's just that TM/LN does the dirty work for the promoters, and TM/LV appears to be the bad guys, but they all share in the booty.

Since the lawn seats are the cheapest ones anyway, and because ticket sales are DOWN for the summer tours, it's a way for LiveNation to get some more bodies in the venue, so they can buy $10.00 beers! Be sure to do your tailgating in the parking lot. Ooops, I forgot good old Tinley Park won't let you tailgate at the Tweeter (First Midwest whatever), so be on the lookout for the staff reporting you for drinking in the parking lot. Have a great summer !

I have also boycotted against these ridiculous fees and charges and have told my friends to do the same. If enough people stop buying tix at these prices, maybe they'll get the message when they have a lot of empty seats. I've had friends email me "hey, want to see (insert popular group here)?" and when I educate them about all the fees and how all the good seats are already gone to special VIP packages, fan club packages, promoter packages, special charge card member packages, there are only seats available from halfway back away from the stage and those tix are about $152 + fees which add another $40 per ticket, add gas (prices going up every week), parking (most venues have tacked another $5 onto their parking fees), and maybe a drink, and you have a crappy seat for over $200. Forget it!!

I also get emails from LiveNation offering me VIP seats for $3,500 per show!! I wrote them back an email and asked who can afford anything like that with this recession and with layoffs every day!! I just had to vent and then I asked if these fees are being used to pay for extra security or patrol in parking lots--do they remove the beer bottles from behind your car tires in the VIP parking lot? What do you get for the $35 to pay in the VIP lot? Ever notice the hidden parking fee that you pay in addition to the parking fee you pay at the venue? That was an unbelievable charge that I noticed. So, even if a group of 4 people decide to carpool in one car--they have each paid about $8.50 in a "parking fee" in addition to the cost to park at the venue--so Live Nation gets every cent they can think of.

And yes, charging you to use your paper and ink to print a ticket at home is the biggest scam I have ever seen. I never print a ticket at home because if my printer screws up, do I eat the cost of the ticket? No, either have it mailed or left at Will Call at least you are protected.

Handicapped and physically challenged - What good is the Live Nation no fee day on "lawn seats" for people that are physically challenged? I mean even those with hip replacements (hello, famous people like Prince, Paul Stanley of Kiss, and Eddie Van Halen) couldn't even sit in the "lawn seat" section as those with hip replacements are not supposed to sit on the ground. There are no "seats" in the lawn section--usually that is where the tanked up people set bonfires and such.

There are more important things to pay for than concerts and I figure within 10 years or less most of the groups I have ever cared to see live I have already seen, or the groups will have broken up, a member dead, or band mates retired.

Try to see any free concert events in your cities and support local small theatre events. I've been paying about $15 to see small theatre productions with free parking, no extra fees, and a lot more entertainment for the money!!

I went to purchase the "no fee" lawn tickets this morning. The tickets are regularly $12.00 with $7.60 in fees added on. The "no fee" tickets, which are the same lawn seats , were now $17.00 plus a $3.00 parking fee. The "no fee" tickets cost MORE than if I had purchased them with the fees!

What a rip off!

The Wednesday "No Fee" promotion is a joke! If you buy 4 tickets to the show WITH THE FEES, it's cheaper than buying 4 tickets without the fees. The key reason is that they raise the parking fee per ticket. For example, There is a $9.80 higher price tag when buying 4 lawn tickets to Aerosmith.

Apparently there are still fees being charged on tickets purchased during the "no fee day promotion." No "service fees" but parking, facility, and charity fees. Even worse, the purchaser is not aware of these charges/added fees until after they've submitted their order. According to Live Nation's terms and conditions: "Live Nation Ticketing may assess a convenience charge on each ticket purchased and/or ordered for certain events."
How is this legal. Seems Greg really needs to do a follow up on this story.

i just tried to buy the cheapest possible ticket for Crosby, Stills, and Nash at Northerly Island tomorrow...
My security type-in words were 'critics baited'....

Price Level 3
Section 313, Row H, Seat # 15

Adult
$26.50

Parking $4.00
Charity $1.00
Ticket Fee $12.10
Venue Fee $4.50

TICKET TOTAL
$48.10

...FUCK THIS COMPANY

We appreciate the above comments...for a small local band like us who really enjoy getting out there...we of course like the idea from Marie...to just visit local places...the most we charge for a ticket is $5. We too, love to go to the bigger acts..but hell no are we going to pay those prices. I remember when you could see a Major Act for $15.00 bucks and actually got to see the group perform for more than an hour and a half. Zeppelin used to put on 3 hour concerts for $15.00 a ticket...what the f__k? The venues are not giving you anything more than they used to. As a matter of fact..the f__king security is worse than trying to enter a prison (I know because I work in one). We used to be able to bring our wine sacks and other paraphernalia like it was no big deal. I've been to ALOT of shows and have never seen a venue destroyed...as a matter of fact not until a recent concert did I see any violence. (My personal opinion was that everyone needed to smoke a joint and chill out and actually enjoy the music) Either way bitching dosen't solve anything...just get out to your local place and support local live music!

Here's another solution. A Rock Revolution Tour. Get a Major Act to headline with just the bare minimum in equipment, personnel and logistics. Cut out all the major booking agents, promoters and other big handed money grabbers. And start from scratch. The major act can play a 2 hour set with maybe two local acts supporting. All the promotional work would be done by locals for free as would the set up and roadie work. I know I would definitely help set up, promote even house and feed a major act for a chance to see them for $15.00. This would send a strong message to all involved that the average fan still wants to hear and appreciate live music. The internet is free and I'm sure a lot of common people would step up to not only see something like this to its fruition but would also love the chance to tell the big money dogs to wake up. This is idealistic, I understand.........but it is inevitable...read the history

so i thought i was the only person outraged by the service fees of live nation..
im 20 years old i been wanting to see chevelle for 6 years now and i thought i would finally be able to see them since they're playing in a concert of a local radio station here in tampa along with sick puppies, amberlin, 30 seconds to mars and a few others, well the pit ticket is 65 bucks so i say ok lets buy it i went to live nation to buy 2 tickets for my husband and me and this is what i got

97X NEXT BIG THING
Sunday 12/06/09
Show: 10:00 a.m.
Ford Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds
TAMPA

Section GA PIT
Adult1
$65.00
Parking $4.00
Ticket Fee $14.50
Ticket Tax $4.55
TICKET TOTAL $88.05

Section GA PIT
Adult1 $65.00
Parking $4.00
Ticket Fee $14.50
Ticket Tax $4.55
TICKET TOTAL $88.05

2 tickets for 176.10

what the heck? both tickets are 130 but im expected to pay 46.10 bucks more? im even riding in the same car as him!!! why charge me 2 parking spaces!!! not only that on ticketmaster the ford ampitheatre venue says that the ticket included parking i guess back when they sold them. i thought tickemaster kinda sucked but no where near as much a live nation.
so screw this, im not going to go, oh yes i do have the money to buy it but im not going to pay for these ridiculous charges, i rather waste my money on something else.

oh and another thing im just going to go to jacksonville because a local radio station is also having a concert with chevelle and papa roach and a few others, for 25 bucks a ticket not service charge! they sell it at a few locations and if you order online they only charge you 6 bucks for shipping the tickets or 35 bucks a ticket if you buy it the day of which will be 70 bucks for both tickets way cheaper.

You can buy a sound system and a band's entire video and CD libraries for the cost of a couple of good seats at these concerts. Then with TM and LN "junk fees" piled on, parking, and concessions the concert becomes a major rip-off.

I will always see a small band, local play, or concert in a park. I will never, ever, ever pay to see a big name at costs that approach a the cost of a vacation in Europe. And small local bands usually put on a far better show than the big cheeses do.

I love music, but believes that whoever pays these outrageous prices to see a big name concert is a fool.