Why is TicketMaster not considered a monopoly?
- Thread starter db
- Start date
FastTIXX or something like that is a competitor, if I understand correctly. And, no MS isn't a monopoly either.
nik
nik
Not sure...
On another note, I was going to buy some tickets last weekend. The tickets were $20 each and I was going to buy 2. The final price, without shipping (will call) was $60.00. That's right... 50% in surcharges / taxes. Unreal.
-geoff
On another note, I was going to buy some tickets last weekend. The tickets were $20 each and I was going to buy 2. The final price, without shipping (will call) was $60.00. That's right... 50% in surcharges / taxes. Unreal.
-geoff
Technically, Microsoft isn't. It's more of an oligopoly, with MS engaging in monopolistic practices, something like that.
It's a competitor. Period.
But I still think the Ticketmaster people need to be sent to a federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison.nik
Tickets always seem a strange thing to me. See, scalping tickets is illegal, but scalping tickets is sound economic principle. Buy limited goods, then sell at a higher price, for conviniece or for those lazy people who didn't buy ahead of time. But they say that is not good, you are taking money away from other and that is bad. Makes no sense.
Ticketmaster may have a monopoly on tickets for a single event, but they certainly don't have a monopoly on all ticket sales. I go to concerts all the time and I haven't used TicketMaster in 3 years. I just go to venues/artists that sell their tickets by other means.
I remember a while back when Pearl Jam was on a crusade against Ticketmaster. They tried putting concerts at places that weren't in collusion with Ticketmaster. I don't think the tour went very well.
This doesn't always hold true. For instance, I just recently bought tickets to a St. Louis Rams football game. Said tickets were not sold at the box office, and the only way to purchase them was through Ticketmaster. So I was forced into paying an extra $5 per ticket for handling, and the worst part about it is that I was pleased that it was only $5! Most of the time it's like 7-9 dollars per. :|
Edit: Clicked the reply button instead of Pepsei's quote button.
Edit: Clicked the reply button instead of Pepsei's quote button.
*puts on his black leather mask with zipper over the mouth*
*mumbles throught the zipper: "com'ere boy!"
Vic
Elite Member
- Jun 12, 2001
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The legality of scalping tickets varies from area to area. In certain areas (like where I live), it's legal and there are even licensed "ticket brokers."
BTW, Microsoft, according to the federal government, is a monopoly, but one that is considered necessary. So instead of being split up, they are allowed to operate, but under special rules to prevent anti-competitive practices (which are frequently broken
As for Ticketmaster, I hate them and I really think it is time something was done about them. Speaking of MS, Paul Allen is the majority shareholder in Ticketmaster, just FYI. The last time I bought tickets through them (and of course I had no choice but to buy through them if I wanted to see that show), the service charges exceeded 50%. :Q :|
There is a very strong need for more competition is the ticket-vending market.
Pearl Jam was awesome at red rocks...
But anyways, if I were to run ticketmaster, if tickets were 30 bucks, I'd just charge 45 flat out. That way people blame the artists, the way they have it now where they have a ticketmaster convenience(haha ironic) charge, and a building charge, people get pissed at them. If they just flat out build in the convenience charge and the building charge into the price and charge that full price, people don't know any better, their reputation doens't go to crap, because it doens't look like they're adding fees to the ticket. The ticket is just 45 bucks.
But anyways, if I were to run ticketmaster, if tickets were 30 bucks, I'd just charge 45 flat out. That way people blame the artists, the way they have it now where they have a ticketmaster convenience(haha ironic) charge, and a building charge, people get pissed at them. If they just flat out build in the convenience charge and the building charge into the price and charge that full price, people don't know any better, their reputation doens't go to crap, because it doens't look like they're adding fees to the ticket. The ticket is just 45 bucks.
One of the problems is this:
How can you forcibly compel a privately owned performance venue to sell their tickets through any channels other than the ones they want to use?
If I own a stadium and I enter into a contract giving Ticketmaster the exclusive rights to sell all the tickets to all my events, that's my business.
Just as if I was selling a tangible item, and I contracted with Nieman Marcus to be the exclusive seller of that item and they sell it on the retail market for obscenely high markups but you can only get these items from Nieman Marcus or secondhand.
I agree that Ticketmaster is evil, but they aren't really a monopoly. Venue operators theoretically deal with them voluntarily, hence many venues that don't.
How can you forcibly compel a privately owned performance venue to sell their tickets through any channels other than the ones they want to use?
If I own a stadium and I enter into a contract giving Ticketmaster the exclusive rights to sell all the tickets to all my events, that's my business.
Just as if I was selling a tangible item, and I contracted with Nieman Marcus to be the exclusive seller of that item and they sell it on the retail market for obscenely high markups but you can only get these items from Nieman Marcus or secondhand.
I agree that Ticketmaster is evil, but they aren't really a monopoly. Venue operators theoretically deal with them voluntarily, hence many venues that don't.
- Dec 6, 1999
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At the very least, both the venue and TicketMaster are complicit in exploiting the ticket selling thing, and splitting the profits. That way the venue has incentive NOT to rat out TM. But it was TicketMaster's idea in the first place, IMHO.
And they still suck.
And they still suck.
True. I went to a concert in South Florida once and the venue actually charged me $2 or so for the rental of the seat I was sitting it.
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