Ticketmaster Customers, Get Ready For Your (Tiny) Class-Action Payout 140
An anonymous reader writes "If you used Ticketmaster's website to buy tickets between October 21, 1999 and October 19, 2011, you're in for a windfall. Well, a $1.50 per ticket order windfall. Because of a proposed class action settlement, Ticketmaster is being forced to credit $1.50 per ticket order (up to 17 orders) to customers because they profited from 'processing fees' without declaring as much. And despite the reparations, Ticketmaster can continue to profit off transactions — they just have to say they're doing so on their website."
I notice (Score:5, Informative)
..that the attorneys are going to get substantially more than $1.50 ($16,500,000 shared between them)
Re:USA only? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:USA only? (Score:3, Informative)
Plus you can only use the $1.50 credit vouchers two at a time, saving you a maximum of $3 off the extortionate price of a ticket. Seriously, does anyone apart for the lawyers in a class action suit walk away with fistfuls of cold hard cash? Offer to pay the lawyers in $3-off-your-next-purchase credit notes and see whether they go for it...
It get's better.... (Score:5, Informative)
They also are allowed to force that fee (Now $2.50) even if you buy the tickets at the venue.
It's why I dont go to see shows anymore. Horribly overpriced, everyone has to get an additional profit fee in there, and you end up with crap seats unless you pay 4 figures.
Screw it, it's not worth it anymore. And from the performance of the band at the last 3 concerts I was at, they suck live anyways. Beastie Boys utterly stunk live.
Re:Finally, not a scam (Score:5, Informative)
actually, it is a scam imho because you do not get 1.50 in cash but you get it as a discount voucher for the next ticket you buy. Ticketmaster doesn't pay you a single cent in CASH and if you stopped using them you're SOL, you're not going to get anything back. Their lawyers are laughing all the way to the bank.
Think of this settlement as just a small mandatory promotion for them since you'll be paying them anyway MUCH more than that for a ticket. The $1.50 discount is insignifiant.
http://consumerist.com/2011/11/you-could-score-150-as-part-of-class-action-suit-against-ticketmaster.html [consumerist.com]
Re:I live in a world... (Score:4, Informative)
Just about exactly what I was going to post.
Seriously, what did people think ticketmaster's business model was?
You would think that it is to provide an optional sales service for convenience that people would choose to pay for, and you'd be wrong. While the email option is convenient, it turns out that they demand exclusive deals with venues, so that you have to pay their "ticket fee" when buying at the door as well. Mind you, ticketmaster has *nothing* to do with door sales except for receiving their racket money (source: a good buddy works at one of these venues), and you don't even get a ticket. Venues still announce cover charge without the fees.
As I see it, if there's no way you can avoid paying the fee even at the doors it's hard to claim that they're tied up to a cost for a service. When I get a goddamn rubber stamp at the entrance in exchange for cash, I don't expect to have to pay a fee to some third party. Ticketmaster don't even do anything to inhibit illegal ticket scalping - which would have been a nice service, and real added value for all concertgoers. If they did I'd be less annoyed with paying their fee.