The price of a weekend film matinee with the kids or a couple of tickets for a concert is rising significantly thanks to additional charges added on by ticket agents. This trend has been on the increase over the last 10 years and is now common practice among big ticket agents.
The recent Sarah Brightman concert at the Point advertised tickets from Ticketmaster at £40 (€50.79), £29.50 and £22.50 including booking fee. In smaller print it stated: "Telephone bookings are subject to 10 per cent service charge/ Agents £1 per ticket." Therefore, two tickets ordered by phone for the most expensive seats cost £88. Those unwilling to pay the additional fees may be certain that they won't be sold tickets.
Some cinemas have also jumped on the fee bandwagon. UCI Cinemas in Tallaght charges £5.20 for an adult ticket with a 60p credit card service charge. This charge also applies at its Blanchardstown and Coolock outlets. Other film venues have decided to maintain a flat fee structure. Virgin Cinemas on Parnell Street charges £5.50 with no booking fee. The Savoy, Screen, and Ambassador in Dublin and Santry Omniplex all charge a straight £5 for an adult ticket.
Thankfully, most theatres do not charge booking fees although at least one has done so in the past.
Consumers have increasingly registered their disgust at "booking fees", "service charges" and "handling charges", says Mr Dermot Jewell of the Consumers' Association of Ireland.
"People are complaining more recently about a variety of concerts. They've been very put out at the manner in which the fees were presented to them," he said.
Under rules introduced in May 1997, written advertising must detail the admission price and any additional charges, given as either a percentage of the ticket value or as the cash amount.
For television and radio advertisements, concert and theatre promoters must state the admission price and warn listeners where extra charges apply.
The Consumer Information (Advertisements for Concert or Theatre Performances) Order 1997 does not legislate against the fees themselves. It simply demands that these fees are transparent.
Although charges are now stated in advertisements, some consumers have expressed confusion over why they're being charged, the high cost of fees, and the difference between fees and charges, says Mr Jewell.
"If a ticket is £40, the advertisement must show that there's a 10 per cent service charge and then a booking fee of £1.50 per ticket. However, there's a disparity between what's a booking fee and what's a service charge. This 10 per cent seems to be very much based on what the market will take. As long as people continue to pay it's going to continue."
The Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs says that all complaints received by the office are investigated. However, it can only use existing legislation when making a decision. "There are no price control regulations in force now and haven't been since 1986," a Consumer Affairs official said. There is confusion among consumers over price control and price display. Technically, a store owner may sell a product for any price he or she chooses, but the only legal obligation is that the price must be displayed, he said.
To compound the problem, some venues are now opting out of selling their tickets directly, said Mr Jewell. This leaves consumers with little, or no choice in paying fees.
In a free market economy, prices for all goods and services are based on what the market will pay. There seems to be no good reason why consumers using the phone or a credit card, to purchase items should be charged a premium. Most retailers and service providers have found that the addition of a telephone ordering service has created a new customer base and thereby increased their profit margins.
If the majority of consumers refuse to pay booking fees, handling charges or service charges then agents and venues may be forced to rethink their profit strategy.
