We're new to Time Warner and they're way less evil than Cox was to us. But they keep playing sillybuggers in terms of moving basic channels to the digital tier to try to force customers to move up. And here in Austin, they recently pulled this with the second PBS channel, with which they have an exclusive contract so I can't switch to a competitor to get it. Screwing PBS is pretty nasty, and taking away my kid's favourite shows pisses me off something fierce.

But Ticketmaster is pretty much the reason I don't go to concerts anymore unless they're smaller ones that don't go through TM. They hose you on fees all over the place then don't deliver on what you've paid for. I once bought tickets online and paid extra to have them mailed out to me so I'd have them in advance of the event, only to not have them show up so when I called, they said, "Oh, we decided not to send out any tickets by mail for that event. You'll have to pick them up at the window." When I said I wanted a refund for the extra money I'd paid for them to be shipped, they said no, that when I paid, they were going to send them out, but a few days later they posted a notice that they weren't going to, so in their minds that meant that I shouldn't have paid the extra and it was my own fault.

If I'd known about the Consumerist at the time (was it even around 6 years ago?) I would have come here to complain, but instead sucked up my few dollar loss and resolved never to do TM again.

Plus the bastards won't take me off their mailing list no matter how often I attempt to unsubscribe.

Okay, TM it is. TW is sucky but haven't actually stolen my money.

I picked up a $26 ticket for a show tonight, and after processing it was $46: a $9 "convenience charge," $2.50 "building facility charge," a $5.55 "order processing charge," $2.50 "TicketFast" (the PDF option) charge, and $0.45 in taxes. Seriously, it's a sad day when Chicago entertainment taxes are the tiniest of the extra charges. (Dear Mayor Daley and Todd Stroger: Please do not interpret this as a reason to raise our taxes again, plskthx.)

Oh, and Ticketmaster can suck my nuts.

I can't even remember why I hate TWC, since now I have Comcast.

But the difference here is, I don't ever HAVE to purchase tickets. I have to have internet come to my house.

In spite of their evils, TM is supplementary to life.

Ticketmaster lets ticket brokers buy up all the best seats before the average consumer can. Add that to unfair fees, and almost being a monopoly, they win hands down. That's just the tip of the ice burg as well.

Ticketmaster, if only for the fact that they beat a sympathetic Pearl Jam at arguably the band's peak in popularity.

Still bitter.

@johnva: There are a few reasons TicketMaster gets used at all. None of them have to do with the quality of the service they provide.

For one thing, TM likes to lock producers and venues into exclusivity agreements. Even if a producer for a show doesn't want to use TM, oftentimes, they have no choice because the venue is locked in.

TM also likes to kick back a portion of the fees to producers and venues. So when a venue or producer looks at an independent ticketing agency that doesn't do that, they feel like they're getting a worse deal, even if the ticketing agency is taking less money overall for fees and giving everyone a better deal. There are a lot of producers that literally cannot understand not doing it this way.

@aftercancer: I've lived in several different states and I have never lived in a Time Warner Cable market. But Ticketmaster was always there to screw me over on event tickets.

(Sorry for the Bush administration flashback. Even with a new administration, I don't forsee much antitrust action anytime soon, in this economy.)

@Cat_In_A_Hat: Actually Tickets.com is anoher major ticketing company. They still charge fees, but equal to 18.5% of the original ticket cost.

I'll have to check them out.. I'd still be annoyed at paying a 20% Fee for a ticket, tho. There SHOULD be a way to buy tickets at face value.

@Suttin: Actually Tickets.com is anoher major ticketing company. They still charge fees, but equal to 18.5% of the original ticket cost. Ticketbastard charges, convenience charge, handling fee, ticketfast print your own tickets at home, venue facility fee, etc. are way more over the top.

@cristiana: Same logic I used. I can avoid TWC, but Ticket Master has a near monolopy on events. (I also avoid going to events to avoid the nasty fees). This is why I hate Ticket Master more.

@NICU: Yes, but there are alternatives.. There's satellite (Dish Network, Direct-TV, etc), FIOS & uVerse (if you're within the market areas, etc).. They are NO alternatives to TicketMaster (at least as far as I'm aware)..

TW, on the other hand, is setting up a business model, that, if successful (in terms of profit for them), will only encourage the other broadband providers to follow in their footsteps...

So, instead of a $25 ticket + $20 in fees, they simply sold a $45 ticket, would you buy the $45 ticket and be happy?

Is this just irritation at price structuring, and not so much about the actual service they provide?

I don't give a toss about Ticketmaster. If I really want to go to a concert (that is rare) I will pay about any price to do that.

Sweet Jaysus.

the only bummer is that second round has AIG versus Peanut Corp. I mean actively destroying the countries economy and killing people. that seems like at least a final four matchup to me.

@PunditGuy: Beautiful

vs.

Media giant
Trouble with business model
Must charge more for less

I miss the comment/headline samples that were given below the image/poll last year to give us examples of why each company deserves to lose...

$2 print at home fee(real)

.99 paper fee
.75 additional processing fee
.99 good seat fee
$4 fee processing fee

@Trai_Dep: Oh, Haiku recaps would rock my socks

@johnva: Its not, it is popular with the labels that sign said artists because they do get a substantial kickback from TM to allow TM/Live Nation to promote and feature their artist . . .its all crap.

@ARP: Oh crap, I forgot the $92.50 pre-sale fee.

Ticketmaster. No contest.

IMO, there's no contest for TM against any other company, either.. They are the most despicable company I've ever had the displeasure of doing business with.

@Trai_Dep: It is an option, just not a realistic one. I could LIVE without electricity, but I don't think that's a realistic view either.

@noone1569: That's only $14 in convenience fees, shipping fees, printing fees, taxes, surchages, and order processing fees. How'd you get such a good deal?

Ticketmaster/TicketsNow, NO DOUBT. I still haven't gotten a refund. :|

Well duh, they are the only major ticket company.

Same here. Thanks for pointing that out. I was afraid I would have to go to Best Buy for a new computer.

Oh thats a difficult one. They both super suck!

Hmm . . .ticketmaster because of the damned monopoly keeps me from attending mainstream concerts.

I refuse to pay 39$ for a 25$ ticket.

But concerts are not a real necessity in life whereas internet has become like the telephone, something that is hard to do without. So metered broadband is high up on my list of bad business decisions.

This is a nice pairing, I'm having trouble deciding.

time warner= oppritunistic ISP that still shows custoemrs some occasional respect/

ticketmaster= monopolistic bribing shading scumbag and bain of the music industry(if you're a consumer).

decisions.

@citking: Not seeing them either.

Pure monopoly beats Semi-monopoly

List the seed values please.