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Ticketmaster is a horrible company

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Re: Ticketmaster is a horrible company

#131

Post by pvg »

parthdesai wrote: post #41

I wanted to buy tickets for MLS final in Toronto this year. General Sale was at 1pm. I log on at 1pm, site doesn't load. Keep refreshing and all tickets are sold by 1:01pm. And rows appear on stubhub at 1:20pm for ~$500 a ticket. I can fucking watch Real Madrid vs Barcelona (arguably the biggest soccer game in the world after CL final) for a ticket price cheaper than that. Fuck Ticketmaster.

The stadium in Toronto seats 31k people, for the most important game of the year in front of a home crowd. El Clasico is a game famous for quality, prestige and tradition but doesn't decide anything. It's played in some of the largest venues in Europe - Camp Nou seats nearly 100k and the Bernabeu seats 81k. It's probably not Ticketmaster's fault the venue is not nearly large enough for the demand.

Re: Ticketmaster is a horrible company

#132

Post by Silhouette »

jason_slack wrote: post #89
potatolicious wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All of these dark patterns (and more!) are common in the consumer web space. While Ticketmaster is a special level of evil, IMO it's important to note that their scummy UX tactics are very much shared by more respectable members of the industry. > "One of the things that was encouraged in the design was to "hide away" things that detracted the user from checking out quickly." This for example is pretty much part of t…

I can't agree with you about it being part of "pretty much part of the UX playbook for every consumer web startup". I have worked for companies that are really, really transparent about the "small print". They wanted you to know everything and be well informed. These were companies in consumer space too.

As someone who often does read the small print (and sometimes does then decide not to do business with a company because I don't like their small print) I tend to think dark things of truly hiding away essential information.

On the other hand, as someone who now runs B2C sites and has done some of the testing, it is abundantly clear that providing too much in-your-face information during the checkout process (a) doesn't seem to help those who actually do want to find and act on it, and (b) does do horrific things to conversion rates.

For example, on the site for one B2C service I'm involved with, removing the in-your-face link to Ts and Cs and dubious "I have read and agree" check box during the checkout process dramatically reduced the number of visitors who'd go off to the Ts and Cs page and get lost there. They're still linked from the footer of every page in the usual place, and a noticeable proportion of visitors do still visit them while browsing and then continue to sign up. Some of those who got lost in the old design have also since visited again and signed up. So, I think it's fair to assume that it wasn't necessarily the Ts and Cs themselves that put people off before, but perhaps more the distraction effect of sticking another possible option in the middle of the sign-up flow.

Re: Ticketmaster is a horrible company

#133

Post by Coincoin »

firloop wrote: post #22
nathancahill wrote: post #2

That "Minutes left to complete the purchase" is one of the oldest tricks in the sales book. I felt my blood pressure going up just looking at that gif, and I wasn't even buying tickets! Edit: I know why they do it, but it isn't necessary for most ticket sales. Just turn it on when there's high demand.

Not a huge Ticketmaster fan, but I actually don't have much of a problem with this as they have a complicated problem: allocate demand of a often scarce good (event tickets) in a way that's fair to non automated buyers. By placing a hold on the stock for a few minutes (rather than allocating at final checkout), it gives humans a fair chance to check out as their ability to secure the stock isn't based on how quickly…

I don't know if this is common elsewhere but to buy hockey tickets up here in communist canuckland, the local broker uses a virtual queue system. You can register up to 4 hours in advance and get placed in the pool.

When the countdown reaches zero, they randomly, yes randomly, place you in the giant queue. When it's your turn, you just select what day and place you want and confirm.

There is no slowdown unless you check in the pool at the last minute. If you register after the countdown, you get placed at the end of the queue and your chance of getting anything are basically zero.

Re: Ticketmaster is a horrible company

#134

Post by lawnchair_larry »

ams6110 wrote: post #59
parthdesai wrote: post #41

I wanted to buy tickets for MLS final in Toronto this year. General Sale was at 1pm. I log on at 1pm, site doesn't load. Keep refreshing and all tickets are sold by 1:01pm. And rows appear on stubhub at 1:20pm for ~$500 a ticket. I can fucking watch Real Madrid vs Barcelona (arguably the biggest soccer game in the world after CL final) for a ticket price cheaper than that. Fuck Ticketmaster.

What would be fair is an auction. Then the price would be more representative of the market value. The reason those tickets all sell out in 30 seconds is that they are too cheap.

Auctions are obviously the least fair model. A lottery would probably be the most fair.

Re: Ticketmaster is a horrible company

#135

Post by enobrev »

wnevets wrote: post #108

Louis CK is really the only celebrity that I can think of that went out of their way to cut out ticketmaster. We really need attempts like this to succeed http://www.ticketnews.com/louis-c-k-sells-tickets-for-tour-w...

I've been to his past two shows in Chicago, and absolutely appreciated this both times. Two years ago it was $35, no matter where your seat was. No fees, nothing. $70 for two tickets. Last year it was $100, total, for two tickets and we were in the front row.

Interestingly we bought them from Ticketmaster both times, but he had the deal with TM to ensure no extra fees.

I plan to keep going every year - especially if he plans to keep up this honest, up-front ticket-price deal.

Re: Ticketmaster is a horrible company

#136

Post by Silhouette »

abjorn wrote: post #34
teddyh wrote: post #14

Ticketmaster recently lost a class action suit, but managed to be allowed to pay the customers it unfairly charged not in money, but in coupons for Ticketmaster . http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7370600/ticketmas...

That's insane. And despite losing the suit, they continue to do the exact same thing.

Well, if that's all they're going to get as punishment, why wouldn't they? The legal system just taught them that what they're doing is OK.

Re: Ticketmaster is a horrible company

#137

Post by delinka »

creaghpatr wrote: post #55
teddyh wrote: post #14

Ticketmaster recently lost a class action suit, but managed to be allowed to pay the customers it unfairly charged not in money, but in coupons for Ticketmaster . http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7370600/ticketmas...

I was a recipient of those vouchers, they were only good for a certain subset of shows and then they didn't work when I tried using them. That said, I never felt baited and switched by TM, the fees are ridiculous but they've always been right there in front of you when you buy the tickets. It was a shock the first time but hundreds of shows later you just kind of accept it. In any case the market drives the show pric…

"...hundreds of shows later..."

That's ... lots of shows. If that's your lifestyle, you certainly would become accustomed to the fees. Admittedly, my social circle is not really urban, so I'm not aware of anyone who'd be so accustomed to TM's fee structure.

Re: Ticketmaster is a horrible company

#138

Post by vinceguidry »

evv wrote: post #50
dreamcompiler wrote: post #7

Ticketmaster has been horrible since forever. Having no real competition, Ticketmaster has zero motivation to treat customers decently. They're kind of like taxis before Uber.

And once Uber squashes Lyft, there will be no competition again, and they can start treating customers as badly as Ticketmaster does!

The barriers in this case are legal, not market-based. Presumably someone could start up Lyft-2 and compete with Uber.

Uber would have to literally become what they replaced to avoid this.

Re: Ticketmaster is a horrible company

#139

Post by parthdesai »

pvg wrote: post #131
parthdesai wrote: post #41

I wanted to buy tickets for MLS final in Toronto this year. General Sale was at 1pm. I log on at 1pm, site doesn't load. Keep refreshing and all tickets are sold by 1:01pm. And rows appear on stubhub at 1:20pm for ~$500 a ticket. I can fucking watch Real Madrid vs Barcelona (arguably the biggest soccer game in the world after CL final) for a ticket price cheaper than that. Fuck Ticketmaster.

The stadium in Toronto seats 31k people, for the most important game of the year in front of a home crowd. El Clasico is a game famous for quality, prestige and tradition but doesn't decide anything. It's played in some of the largest venues in Europe - Camp Nou seats nearly 100k and the Bernabeu seats 81k. It's probably not Ticketmaster's fault the venue is not nearly large enough for the demand.

The stadium seats 31K for a side that wouldn't even probably be good enough Segunda division. 2nd Leg of El Classico is usually crucial for title race.

Ticket prices for CL final are : Category 4: €70 Category 3: €160 Category 2: €320 Category 1: €440 [0]

It IS Ticketmaster's fault that fans don't even get a decent shot at buying the tickets. How do you justify site not loading at 1:00pm and tickets selling out at 1:01 pm. There was a per-sale that started at 12:00pm and by 12:10pm, pre-sale tickets were sold out. Let's say, there actually was demand, but then how come rows and rows started to appear on stubhub for ~500 bucks whereas original ticket prices were ~100-150 bucks (you missed that point of mine completely).

[0]:http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/ticketing/

Re: Ticketmaster is a horrible company

#140

Post by huehehue »

notwhereyouare wrote: post #100
stoic wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They charge you to print your own tickets as well.

digital tickets though. I've never had an issue pulling up the ticket on my phone and letting them scan it

Not always an option. Some tickets even say that the venue will not accept a barcode on a phone, and the ticket must be printed out. Recently went to a Trans-Sierian Orchestra show where this was the case.
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