Ticketmaster plans to tie prices to demand

offhegoes32

http://chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2011/04/ticketmaster-plans-to-tie-prices-to-demand.html

I'm skeptical when Ticketmaster tells me they are doing this to "improve the fans' experience."
Thoughts?

DarthSpacegrass

So in order to do away with scalpers, ticketmaster is going to charge the scalped price up front.

How is this a benefit to the average concertgoer?

This only benefits the lunatics who have no problem paying the scalped prices.

mookeywrench

When I was a kid I spilt grape juice on the carpet and it made a stain.

I felt bad about the stain a proposed a solution to my mom that we should spill grape juice over the entire carpet, that way the stain won't show.

She didn't like my idea.

randallanddarcy

It's basically auctioning tickets, amirite?

Cob

********Event tickets seller Ticketmaster says it is going to let artists and sports teams raise and lower the price of tickets to reflect demand while they’re being sold.********

So does this mean if say you buy a ticket to the Lakers game for $75.00 and then Kobe Bryant and Gasol get hurt and aren't going to play, then the $75.00 will be $50.00? I say BS that they will, this is a monopoly of the highest order, the economy is in the crapper, people will just stop going because they have no extra money. :roll:

JOEJOEJOE

It seems as if this will effect people who buy tickets closer to the show date. If a show is selling poorly, hopefully there will be bargains to be had. It may backfire on TM if buyers take a wait and see attitude rather then buy tickets right when they go on sale.

Cob

Yes, but once people wait and then start buying them, they will go up.

Better Dan

This doesn't sound good at all!

Spark28

This is something a band/venue would have to opt in to. It is not the default. If you see this for a Pearl Jam show, it's because they gave it the okay.

Of The Aggie

I hate Ticketmaster as much as anyone but they are not the ones who will be changing the prices. The article says they are giving the artists and sports team the ability to do this if they would like. Ticketmaster doesn't set the base prices. They set the fees, but the artist or teams set the initial price of their events.

Cob

Yes that is how it works, the SF Giants were doing it last year, when there was a good pitching match up announced, they upped the ticket prices, when there wasn't they lowered them, it was working good, until they had an anticipated "good" pitching match up, charged the higher price and then one of the pitchers got hurt and didn't start, so they lowered them right before the game, even though thousands of people had paid the higher price already.

I remember before they shut down the Verizon outdoor concert venue in San Antonio, the last concert season the had, reserved seats were say $50.00 $75.00 plus service fees, but they would sell lawn seats for some shows for $10.00-$15.00, then once you got inside, they had a table set up where you could upgrade your ticket to a reserved seat for $10.00 more. We bought tickets to the Heaven and Hell show for $10.00 on the lawn, then paid the extra $10.00 once we got inside, needless to say, the people who paid the $50.00-$75.00 for their reserved seats were SUPER PISSED OFF!