Live Nation Convenience Fees Suck

For some reason, I got it in my mind that I wanted to go see 3 Doors Down during the opening week at House of Blues Boston. Lots of hits. New venue. Why not?

My friend Tye said he'd come. Perfect. I'll get tickets.

Or so I thought.

The show has not been an immediate sell-out, but I still possess no tickets.

Why?

Live Nation service fees.

Boy is this a sign of my cheapness. But it's plain and simple robbery when the only method of purchasing tickets is online, and they tack what amounts to $11 of convenience / facilities / whatever fees to EACH $38 ticket.

$40 for Hoobastank and 3 Doors Down? Sure, why not.

$50? Pushing it.

I thought I would go to the House of Blues Box Office, inconveniencing myself but saving $20. Unfortunately, their website has no phone number for the venue. Perhaps the box office isn't open yet, as the venue sure isn't.

So I thought I would call some of the other Live Nation venues in Boston to see if I can purchase tickets for shows at other venues.

I tried calling the Paradise Rock Club, resulting in a recording with information and such, but no live person. There was a "for further information" number which I called, but that simply rang and rang.

I called the Orpheum. Recording. No option for further assistance. "Live Nation" is clearly a misnomer.

Bank of America Pavillion. Recording. Box Office opens in May...but there was a general information number for Live Nation.

So I called that number. Live person. Sweet.

She mentioned that some Blockbuster stores would soon become ticket outlets for Live Nation, a fact of which livenation.com had already made me aware. She looked up my zip code and learned what I already knew - the Blockbuster option in Boston is "Coming Soon."

I asked if Live Nation venues were able to sell tickets for events at other Live Nation locations, but she wasn't certain.

I then asked for a phone number for House of Blues Boston, and she had one! So I called it.

Busy signal.

Busy signal? Who hears these anymore?

All this just to save $20 and avoid paying the absurd convenience fees. I still haven't succumbed yet, but I now realize how INconvenient they make it otherwise for people seeking tickets.

This reminds me of the days when online banking cost $5 per month. It was a joke. I was saving the bank money by banking online, and they were charging me a fee for something that they were promoting and making their lives easier. Fewer humans and branches needed. Savings to them. Yet they still charged consumers. Good thing that's now a free service.

But there's lots of banks. They need to stay competitive. There's few outlets to purchase tickets from non-brokers. It's a total racket and unfair. I'd rather them charge me $49 for a ticket than $38 plus $11 in fees. Sometimes knowing less is more.