To whom it may concern,

My 6 year-old son and I went to They Might be Giants at the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia on Saturday Nov. 21. For the most part, we had a great time. We both love live music and we both love They Might be Giants. However I have one complaint, the unavoidable $5 charge for each ticket.

I considered buying tickets online, but saw there was a $5 charge for credit card purchases so I opted to buy tickets at the door. Signs posted at the box office confirmed the $5 charge. I ordered two tickets - one for me, one for my son (by the way, making a 6 year-old pay full price for show where the stage is above his head is outrageous, but that’s another issue) - and was shocked when the cashier said the price was $10 more than I expected. I asked if there was a way to avoid the fees, and was told there was not - even if I paid in cash.

Had I been alone, I would have left on principle.

Demanding an extra $5 per ticket is not a “fee.” It’s misleading and infuriating. You might as well say the tickets are $30 instead of $25. I’ll never pay for a LiveNation event again until that policy changes.

Sincerely,
mattack

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edit: Shortly after sending the above letter via LiveNation’s customer service form, I got a response. The emphasis is mine.

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Response (Christy) 11/23/2009 11:41 PM
Hello Fan,

Thank you for contacting the Live Nation Customer Care Team.

The entire face value of the ticket as it appears before fees goes directly to the artist that is performing. The ticket fees are then distributed between Live Nation, the venue, and the promoters of the event. These fees are used for technical assistance, printing and shipping costs, website maintenance, and overall costs of putting on a large scale event. This also includes a processing charge for using a credit card online without a signature.

I apologize if you found these fees to be excessive. The purpose of these fees is to offset the costs of concert production, promotion, and ticketing. If you wish to purchase tickets at a reduced rate, I would recommend that you visit www.LiveNation.com to check for discounted promotion or purchase tickets at the venue box office.

We are always looking for new ways to improve on the fan experience. If you need more help with this or any other question you can reply to this email, contact us by phone at 877.LYV.TIXS (877.598.8497), or find us online at www.LiveNation.com.

Please tell us how we’re doing:

http://survey2.livenation.com/mrIWeb/mrIWeb.dll?I.Project=CUSTOMERCARE09

Shop your favorite artist music & merch at www.livenation.com/fanStore

Regards,
Christy
Live Nation Ticketing Customer Care Representative

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My response:

Wow… You don’t really expect me to believe that, do you? “The entire face value of the ticket as it appears before fees goes directly to the artist that is performing.”

That’s simply not true.

I’ve been in bands. I’ve played concerts all over the world, in venues ranging from basements to arenas. That’s just not the way it works. You know it. I know it.

I just wanted to file a complaint and let you know you lost a customer.

Sincerely,
mattack

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A little math is in order here… Suppose it’s true “the entire face value of the ticket as it appears before fees goes directly to the artist that is performing.” I estimate there were around 800 people attending. At $25 a person, LiveNation wants me to believe they paid They Might be Giants $20,000 just for playing? I don’t believe it.