|
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2017 14:38:47 GMT
Just had another look at the ATG site to see how clear they are about the fees. On the main page you get -  Then when you select a seat:  So OK, maybe that £3.90 fee is the £4.00 transaction fee mentioned on the first page. Anyway, looks like I'm paying £23.90 Let's have a look at my basket:  OK great, the full price is £23.90, including the fee. Let's go to the checkout  Oh right, so there's a transaction fee AND a ticket fee and I'm now paying £27.90. This is the only point you see both fees in the same place. |
|
5,159 posts
|
Post by TallPaul on Nov 30, 2017 14:44:40 GMT
Absolutely outrageous. That can't possibly be legal, can it? It is, in effect, a 39.50% fee for the privilege of booking a theatre ticket.
|
|
|
|
Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 30, 2017 15:11:53 GMT
The problem is how to work to effect change - as they are, as we have seen, quick to bat away criticism. ATG aren't alone in this sort of behaviour - though they are some of the worst offenders.
I have no problem with paying a premium to have tickets posted to me. But no other charge is acceptable to my mind - particularly when you discover that credit card fees are covered (on the whole) by producers/promoters not absorbed by the venues.
Without a Box Office, venues wouldn't have an audience - we shouldn't pay for more than the tickets. The Box Office service is so integral to running a theatre, it shouldn't be seen as a revenue source - just a conduit for tickets.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2017 15:59:58 GMT
I'm not seeing the problem with that. What matters to the customer is the total amount they have to pay. The problem is that if you have the alternative of buying online or going to the theatre without a fee, it isn't instantly clear how much you can save. The uninitiated check a price online and see £50. They don't know that if they drop into the box office and pay at the counter, the actual ticket is only £45. The only way they find out is digging far deeper as Xanderl did. But even if the components of the price are shown separately people aren't going to realise that they can get the ticket for less from the box office unless they're already familiar enough with theatre to know that the extra charge can be avoided. Without that knowledge there's nothing to tell them that the extra charges don't apply everywhere. Even without that, calling in at the box office isn't an option for the overwhelming majority of customers and for the majority of those who could call in the time and transport costs would exceed the saving. What's the point of advertising a price that hardly anyone is able to pay? The law wasn't changed for the hell of it. It was changed because so many people felt ripped off by having to pay more than they were told they'd have to pay that the government felt it was necessary to act. Do you want people to feel cheated? If I'm told that tickets are £50 each I'll pay £50. If I'm told they're £45 each and then find that the actual amount I'm going to be charged has gone up to £50 by the time I pay then I'm likely to cancel the transaction. It's a really bad business strategy to push the price up after someone has decided how much they want to pay. |
|
5,707 posts
|
Post by lynette on Nov 30, 2017 18:20:03 GMT
How else can you pay by phone except with a cc? And why should you pay more than a teensy weensy bit extra than a stamp for postage? As you know, I know nothing but is it something to do with taxation that the fees thing is rampant?
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2017 18:34:48 GMT
How else can you pay by phone except with a cc? And why should you pay more than a teensy weensy bit extra than a stamp for postage? As you know, I know nothing but is it something to do with taxation that the fees thing is rampant? I have seen places that charge a fee for credit card payments but not debit cards. Not theatres but I think this was the case when I renewed my car insurance. Anyway just unleashed a full on TWITTER RANT at the Oxford New Theatre about this.  |
|
4,156 posts
|
Post by kathryn on Nov 30, 2017 20:42:46 GMT
Debit card transactions cost the retailer pennies, credit card transactions cost a percentage of the price. Some retailers will explicitly pass that extra cost on to the customer - usually for large transactions -some will not.
|
|
3,578 posts
|
Post by showgirl on Nov 30, 2017 23:25:53 GMT
I rarely visit the Theatre Royal, Bath, but when I do I have to book in advance as I'm travelling so far, and then I'm reminded how unfair it seems not only to have to pay a booking fee but for postage on top - when I would prefer to collect my ticket in person on the day and actually think the post is riskier. I've never come across another theatre which forces you to receive your ticket by post and to pay for it; sometime, if/when I have the time and mental energy, I must take it up with them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2017 23:32:23 GMT
When I booked in advance with TRB, by phone, they were quite happy to hold my ticket.
|
|
3,578 posts
|
Post by showgirl on Dec 1, 2017 5:12:16 GMT
That'll be the difference then, HG: I have to do most of my theatre booking either very early in the AM or late PM when returning from the theatre, so phoning isn't an option. But when I am there next week, I will try to remember to ask about this.
|
|
19,793 posts
|
Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 1, 2017 8:04:47 GMT
In the old days, you could phone, they'd hold it for 4 working days while you posted in a cheque. And now you ring ATG’s call centre and they put YOU on hold for 4 days while they make some more dosh out of the 0844 number. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2017 9:37:06 GMT
I rarely visit the Theatre Royal, Bath, but when I do I have to book in advance as I'm travelling so far, and then I'm reminded how unfair it seems not only to have to pay a booking fee but for postage on top - when I would prefer to collect my ticket in person on the day and actually think the post is riskier. I've never come across another theatre which forces you to receive your ticket by post and to pay for it; sometime, if/when I have the time and mental energy, I must take it up with them. The Globe has no option to collect your ticket at the box office. There's a flat £2.50 booking fee per transaction (so especially if you're booking yard tickets you're better off booking several at once) and the tickets arrive a day or two later like clockwork. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2017 14:28:36 GMT
In a pleasing turn of events I've learned The Sherman only charge 75p booking fee/postage fee.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2017 14:40:06 GMT
In a pleasing turn of events I've learned The Sherman only charge 75p booking fee/postage fee. Even better than that - There's no booking fee at all, just the 75p charge if you elect to have the tickets posted. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2017 14:41:40 GMT
In a pleasing turn of events I've learned The Sherman only charge 75p booking fee/postage fee. Even better than that - There's no booking fee at all, just the 75p charge if you elect to have the tickets posted. Sorry yes that was my poorly worded post...75p is worth it to avoid human interaction after all  (I actually just need these as a gift) |
|
5,159 posts
|
Post by TallPaul on Dec 1, 2017 14:43:31 GMT
I remember there was an article in the local paper earlier this year. Birmingham Stage Company decided they were no longer going to visit Leeds Grand on their future tours because they objected to the theatre's booking fees. Specifically, as a company that specializes in children's shows, they didn't think it was fair that every child in a school party of 20 or 30 should have to pay a fee, when there was only one actual booking and one payment to process.
|
|
100 posts
|
Post by noboiscout on Apr 9, 2019 16:28:53 GMT
Sorry for reviving an old thread, but I was going to book a couple of £36 tickets for Amelie in Wimbledon, and was surprised/shocked/stunned/pi**ed off when £5.72 was added on to each ticket price, in fees. So thank you - I have booked a £15 ticket (£12 plus fees) and will just move to a more expensive seat in your half-empty theatre!!
I feel better now...
|
|
19,793 posts
|
Post by BurlyBeaR on Apr 9, 2019 19:25:00 GMT
Never apologise for a revival!
|
|
297 posts
|
Post by fossil on Sept 27, 2019 14:24:14 GMT
This is the first time I have had what amounts to a 51% markup on the base ticket price.
A newsletter from the producers of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue gave the dates for forthcoming recordings of the BBC show with one at Richmond Theatre. Tickets to be £7.50 plus booking fee. This morning when tickets went on sale they showed as £9 including £1.50 restoration levy. Presumably the other 50p was just a markup? At checkout a further £3.65 transaction fee was added.
The two tickets I purchased should have totalled £15 but I paid £22.65.
Also, I don't know if this is a useful tip as I have not experienced the ATG 'countdown' before but this certainly worked for me. I knew demand would be high for the tickets when they went on line at 10.00am so I opened up another window showing a calendar view for the theatre. Clicking on the ISIHAC date before 10.00am did not show availability. However clicking again immediately the countdown went to zero let me see the seating plan showing all seats available from which I was able to select exactly the front stalls seats I wanted. After checking out I had another look at availability and nearly all the seats had gone by that time.
|
|
(I actually just need these as a gift)