If the so-called “convenience charges” tacked on by Ticketmaster seem confusing and somewhat arbitrary, that’s because they are.
Ticketmaster’s fees can fluctuate wildly. Consider the difference in service charges at some recent Park West shows: for Alana Davis, it was $3.21 per ticket, but for Keiko Matsui it was twice that, $6.24 — and for Billy Bragg was $6.69.
Similarly, the service charge on a ticket for Janet Jackson’s Rosemont Horizon show last month was $7.75, while James Taylor’s July show at the same venue was $5.75. Bonnie Raitt’s date at the Rosemont Theatre was $5.75, but the charge for a “Rug Rats” ticket at the theater was $3.25.
Nor is getting around Ticketmaster’s fees an easy matter. You can find out a venue’s box office hours and buy tickets for face value there — but for three major venues in the Chicago area, there is no choice but to pay the fees, unless tickets remain on the day of show. The Aragon Ballroom, The Riviera Nightclub and Alpine Valley have no box offices.
Park West only opens its box office one hour before Ticketmaster shows (and requires cash payments). If there is no Ticketmaster show before the event you want tickets for, you must buy it on the day of the show or through Ticketmaster. Nobody who went to the Guinness Fleadh paid the advertised $40; because Arlington International had no box office for the event, everyone had to purchase through Ticketmaster at $45.75, before handling charges. Those who bought at the gate paid $48.