Which? calls for crackdown on sneaky gig ticket fees as new laws set to come into force
Which? is calling for a crackdown on the bewildering array of extra fees music fans have to pay when booking tickets for gigs and festivals, as new research from the consumer champion reveals they can add 20 per cent or more to the face value price.
The consumer champion’s snapshot analysis looked at fees for music events on some of the country’s biggest ticketing sites - AXS, Dice, Eventim, See Tickets and Ticketmaster. Ticket sites often include some fees in the upfront price, and mention that other fees will be added, but the final price (with all fees listed) is not revealed until later in the checkout process. This practice is known as drip pricing. Unavoidable hidden fees are set to be banned in the coming months by legislation Which? campaigned for.
For an Anne-Marie show at Cardiff’s Utilita Arena last November, Which? researchers found tickets with a face value of £45 on ticket websites Eventim and Ticketmaster - but a range of extra fees bumped up the final price to more than £55 in both cases.
Eventim charged a £1.50 processing fee, £2.50 delivery and transaction fee, £5.62 booking fee and a £1.75 venue levy, which drove up the overall cost of the ticket to £56.37 - a final price that would only become apparent to customers at the checkout.
Ticketmaster also charged an array of extra fees - a £6.10 service charge, a £1.75 facility charge, and a £2.75 order processing fee (handling fee). This meant the final cost, which was only made fully clear at the checkout, was £55.60.
It was a similar story when Which? analysed ticket prices for an upcoming Busted concert this August at Dreamland in Margate, Kent. Tickets had a face value price of £49.50, and were sold on See Tickets, Eventim, AXS and DICE.
On See Tickets, a huge booking fee of £7.55 for a single ticket, £1.50 e-ticket/fulfilment fee and £1 order processing fee pushed up the price from £49.50 to £59.55 - with fees making up 20 per cent of the final cost.
Eventim imposed a £4.95 booking fee, £2.50 e-ticket fee and £1.50 processing fee, making the final price £58.45, while AXS added a £5.94 service charge and £2.50 transaction fee, resulting in a final price of £57.94.
DICE had the clearest pricing policy. Its single added fee of £6.05 for the Busted concert was added to the face value price on the first page customers encountered, showing the full and final price of £55.55. It turned out to be the cheapest once all the other sites’ added extras were accounted for.
The research shows how music fans have to be prepared to go through a number of onerous steps on each booking site to find out and compare the true price of a ticket - and some are likely to feel compelled to finish their booking at the first attempt rather than run the risk of losing their tickets for an in-demand show.
There is little consistency between sites in how various fees are added, what they are called and how the cost is justified, creating potential confusion for customers.
Which? found sites belonging to the Society for Ticket Agents and Retailers, the ticket regulator, charging between 50p and £3.25 for an e-ticket to be downloaded or printed at home.
Eventim said that e-tickets “carry real costs due to the technology and staff deployed at events to ensure smooth access control.”
TicketWeb’s e-ticket charge makes up the ‘order processing fee’.This confusion is compounded by countdown timers when customers reach the checkout page. These risk adding stress and a sense of urgency and could make it less likely that a customer will think twice about paying the full price once the true cost has become clear. Which? believes this could in some cases be an unfair commercial practice - which the Competition and Markets Authority warned businesses about last year.
Ticketmaster had the shortest countdown Which? encountered, giving customers around three minutes to consider the final price, with all fees listed, before completing their purchase for some events. Most other sites gave around 10 minutes. Ticketmaster gives customers 10-12 minutes in total from when they select tickets, with at least three minutes on the checkout page. Its countdown timer prevents bots from holding onto tickets during ticket sales.
Which? led the campaign for an overhaul of consumer protections to make them fit for the digital age. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, set to get Royal Assent in the coming weeks, should ensure that any charges consumers will “necessarily incur” will need to be made clear as part of the upfront total price. Optional extras, such as cancellation insurance are not covered.The consumer champion is warning ticketing firms to get their houses in order to ensure they are ready to comply with the new law. Regulators and enforcers like Trading Standards should not hesitate to step in with tough action against any websites falling short of the new rules.
Ticketing websites must do more to improve the consistency and transparency of their prices, so music fans can understand what they are paying for and can compare prices across different providers. Businesses must also ensure customers are given a reasonable amount of time to complete their purchase, so they do not feel pressured into making a decision they later regret.
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:
“Tickets for popular gigs can be eye-wateringly expensive and when fees like those uncovered by our research are added on, it’s no surprise that music fans sometimes feel like they are being taken for a ride.
“These sneaky drip pricing tactics are seen in other areas, like when booking flights and holidays. It’s been going on for too long and it’s good news that the government has listened to Which? and is cracking down on this unfair business practice.
“Music fans and all of us shopping online need much greater clarity about the true price we are paying. Businesses need to make these hidden extra fees a thing of the past and regulators and enforcers like Trading Standards should be ready to come down hard on any firms that don’t stick to the new rules.”
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Notes to Editors
Right of Replies
A spokesperson for Eventim said:
“The booking fee is set and agreed by the client, e.g. the concert promoter, and the Venue Levy is set and agreed by the Venue. The fees that EVENTIM UK have control over are the fulfilment fee and the processing fee. The fulfilment fee covers the cost of delivering the tickets to the customer and fulfilling their order at the event.
“The processing fee covers the cost of retail distribution (website, customer services, marketing) and payment processing fees. Both fees are charged per order not per ticket. Even e-tickets carry real costs due to the technology and staff deployed at events to ensure smooth access control.
"At eventim.co.uk, all mandatory fees are mentioned on Page One of the booking process and nothing is added that the customer wasn’t made aware of from the start.“As a result of this transparency we get very few, if any, customers complaining that they were surprised by additional fees after entering the process. We strongly believe that all customers should be made aware of pricing at the start of the buying process so they can make an informed choice straight away.”
A spokesperson for Ticketmaster said:
“Fees are typically set by and shared with our clients - venues, festivals, promoters, sports teams - who all invest their skill, resource and capital into getting an event off the ground. With live performance now the main source of income for artists, more of the ticket’s price is going directly to them. As such, ticket fees are all the more crucial to the parties behind the scenes. “The fees charged cover the cost of processing a booking from start to finish and getting fans into the event.
“Fees are typically set by and shared with our clients - venues, festivals, promoters, sports teams - who all invest their skill, resource and capital into getting an event off the ground. Ticketmaster supports legislation that requires all-in pricing across the industry.”
A spokesperson for DICE said:
“We're incredibly proud to be changing the face of ticketing and breaking down the barriers that get in the way of having a good time. Since day one, DICE has been on the side of fans which means that fans see the full price upfront and there are no nasty surprises at the end. Plus, we’re here to make a living, not a killing! If our shows have fees (many don’t) we work hard to keep them low and they're typically much lower than what’s out there.
“We believe tickets belong in the hands of fans, not resellers trying to make a profit. Our Waiting List feature allows fan-to-fan resales for sold-out shows - no drama, no rip-offs. If the ticket is sold, you get a full refund.”
A spokesperson for AXS said:
“Whenever fans buy tickets through AXS, we want them to understand the fees they’ll pay, who sets them, and what they cover. As fans ourselves, being transparent about fees is important to us. All information on fees can be found on our website.”
AXS’ website explains that its service and transaction fees go towards covering the costs involved in running its business and allowing customers to purchase tickets online, as well as the support of bot protection, new technology and staffing. Facility fees, it says, are determined and passed directly onto its clients. Delivery fees are charged per-order based on the delivery method.
See Tickets did not respond to our request for comment, but its website explains that its transaction fee covers the cost of processing your order and delivering or producing your tickets. It says its booking fee covers the cost of providing 'a 7 days a week, 24 hours a day booking service, labour costs, credit card commissions and all other costs associated with running our business.
About Which?
Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, here to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone. Our research gets to the heart of consumer issues, our advice is impartial, and our rigorous product tests lead to expert recommendations. We’re the independent consumer voice that influences politicians and lawmakers, investigates, holds businesses to account and makes change happen. As an organisation we’re not for profit and all for making consumers more powerful.
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