Theatre Ticket rip-off

[ShinySideUp]

Just booked tickets at Plymouth Pavilions to see a show.

Now I always objected to a 'booking fee' on principle but now...now, on top of the booking fee we have a £1.25 'fulfillment fee'. I might be wrong but I think someone somewhere is taking the piss now. When we get used to a fulfillment fee will they then hit us with a 'gratification fee' to ensure we enjoy the show or we waste our money, a 'seating fee' to ensure you get somewhere to sit (no, you can't bring your own chair unless you pay a 'secondary ass-support fee'). I'm waiting for the idiots to start charging to use the friggin' loo. Methinks they are taking lessons from Ryan Air.

I'm sure it is even worse in London.

 

[FroFro]

Just booked tickets at Plymouth Pavilions to see a show.

Now I always objected to a 'booking fee' on principle but now...now, on top of the booking fee we have a £1.25 'fulfillment fee'. I might be wrong but I think someone somewhere is taking the piss now. When we get used to a fulfillment fee will they then hit us with a 'gratification fee' to ensure we enjoy the show or we waste our money, a 'seating fee' to ensure you get somewhere to sit (no, you can't bring your own chair unless you pay a 'secondary ass-support fee'). I'm waiting for the idiots to start charging to use the friggin' loo. Methinks they are taking lessons from Ryan Air.

I'm sure it is even worse in London.

They charge a fee to sit? Here in the USA when we buy a ticket, it comes with the seat, the parking, the little pamphlet for the program, and all that hoobie doo. They only thing we have to pay extra for, and its optional, is to meet face to face with performers or get the "goody bags" which have like t-shirts and posters in them. There is a fee to fulfill something that you already paid for? Sounds like a load of bull to me.

 

[NickAu]

Did they also charge you for booking on line and paying by credit card?

 

[ShinySideUp]

They charge a fee to sit? .

No, that was just me extrapolating to a possible future...or a probable one, perhaps.

 

[Lateral Line]

I mailed them to find out what that was all about, they said this...

>>>
Thank you for your email regarding our Booking Fees and Fulfilment Fee..

We do have a very clear ticketing policy, one which has to comply with the laws of the land. As with similar organisations such as airlines etc. we have to lay out very clearly what the customer is paying for so that there are no hidden extras. The law states that the ticket price must be shown clearly plus any additional fees we may charge.

May I take this opportunity to explain our Fees

Booking fees have become an industry standard necessity at commercial venues like the Pavilions. As promoters and show managers attempt to pay the artistes the highest possible fees, in a very competitive market to retain their services, they in turn further squeeze the deals, or financial contracts, with the venues. This means that the venues have to look for other income streams to cover their costs and ensure a sustainable service. The Box Office service is a costly one to operate with staffing costs and overheads. Many venues have already been forced to go down the line of shutting their in house box offices and out sourcing their ticketing to independent ticketing agents. The result of this means even higher costs being passed on to the customer and the loss of personal service and venue knowledge that in house Box Offices are able to give.

The Fulfilment Fee contributes towards the cost of delivering your tickets to you, as well as other operational costs and overheads associated with ticket fulfilment e.g. ticket stock administration and inventory control, ticket stock/stationery, collection facilities and/or postage and/or packaging costs if it applies to the event/tickets.

As an organisation we are committed to improving our standards of customer care and service; and as such utilise the income generated from booking fees to invest in new technologies and Box Office infrastructure, to accommodate modern demands and future ticketing opportunities.

I hope that this explanation helps you to understand the necessity for pursuing this policy. We realise the impact of fees and ticket prices on our audiences, but we still have to operate in a commercial environment albeit finding a balance that is acceptable to most of our customers.

<<<

... so now you know. Of course, they are using ink or toner to print the ticket, so perhaps a "pigment fee" will start to appear once everyone is used to fullfilment.