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Skankingmike
April 24, 2009 5:31 PM
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when will this company go away? why do we need a Ticketmaster

Does that make us slaves?

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3 replies
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Framling
April 24, 2009 7:14 PM
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@Skankingmike: My wife works for Brown Paper Tickets, a smaller, non-evil competitor. They had shirts for a while that said \"No Ticket Masters, No Ticket Slaves.\"

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PunditGuy
April 24, 2009 7:59 PM
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@Framling: It wouldn't surprise me if they could make more money from t-shirt sales than ticket sales. I know I want one of those shirts.

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dragonfire81
April 24, 2009 10:27 PM
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@PunditGuy: Ticketmaster is one of suckiest of the suckiest but I don't think even it has a chance against AIG.

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Fresh-Fest-1986
April 24, 2009 5:42 PM
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@Skankingmike: That ticketmaster has been able to do what they do for so long is a case study in tolerated madness.


I spent a long time going to shows that were under ticketmasters radar but everytime I do need to go to a larger event it's the same ridiculous charges I had to deal with 15 years ago.


Citibank just took balilouts. The used tire company near my house has received bailout money at this point. He rode to his Congressional testimony in the center of a large tire.

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Mr. Guy
April 24, 2009 5:35 PM
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the two words i hate most in the english language: \"convenience charge\".

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3 replies
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gStein_*|bringing starpipe back|*
April 25, 2009 12:27 AM
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@Mr. Guy: i was in vited to go to a fall out boy concert tonight. ticketmaster wanted 33% additional as a \"convenience charge\" (tickets advertised as $30, plus a 9.75 convenience charge, and $1 or so in \"venue fees\" or something. then another $16 for parking.)
needless to say, i did not go.

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LegoMan322
April 24, 2009 7:08 PM
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@Mr. Guy: @sweetnjoe: What the hell are you talking about? We do not have to go to a (hopefully) good concert and listen to music? But we do have to give a mega billion corporation our money to hold?

Wow dude...wow.

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LegoMan322
April 24, 2009 7:47 PM
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@LegoMan322: Mr.Guy...not sure how you made it into there or why its under you. Just ignore the rant on the guy/gal next to you. : )

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Mr. Guy
April 24, 2009 8:25 PM
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@LegoMan322: haha, no problem. good to know i don't have to kick your ass now :-)

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Nighthawke
April 24, 2009 5:38 PM
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Ticketmaster needs to be shut down. They are thieves and pirates, pulling stupid tactics that bankrupt venues, bands, and their fans! I'll be on the 2nd row cheering any AG on that decides to take them on for unfair business practices.

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theblackdog
April 24, 2009 5:38 PM
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I have ticketmaster pulling an upset on this one.

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bostonhockey
April 24, 2009 5:38 PM
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Call me naive, but why isn't TicketMaster considered a monopoly? If I want to have a choice between who I want to buy tickets from for an event, and I don't have one, how is that fair?

Well, besides a 3rd party outlet, of course. StubHub, Craigslist, scumbag scalper

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theblackdog
April 24, 2009 7:44 PM
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@bostonhockey: Not necessarily, you still have Live Nation (unless they merge with TM) and Tickets.com as venues along with a number of regional ticket suppliers.

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mac-phisto
April 24, 2009 6:09 PM
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@bostonhockey: what? no free marketeers offering their take on this yet?!? \"you don't have to buy tickets. you can choose not to see a show. therefore, they are not a monopoly.\"

anyway, our anti-trust department hasn't done a whole lot lately in terms of regulating companies based on monopolistic tendencies. so, in reference to your questions: is TM a monopoly? maybe. does anybody of importance care? not in the slightest.

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Gamethyme
April 24, 2009 6:06 PM
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@bostonhockey: Two reasons:


1) There ARE other local options in many areas. (Here in Seattle, for example, we have TicketsWest).


2) They haven't forced venues and performers to deal only with them. They've just made themselves very attractive to venues and performers.


As long as venues and performers (on paper, at least) can choose which ticketing agent to use, it's not an illegal monopoly. Unfortunately, there simply are not enough LARGE options to make their competitors viable for large venues and popular performers.


A good example of this is the much-mentioned Pearl Jam 1994 tour which was cancelled because of a disagreement with TicketMaster - but by 2000, they were using TicketMaster as their ticket vendor again.

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Aquasol
April 24, 2009 5:44 PM
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@bostonhockey: Maybe they're not seen as \"important enough\" to worry about. Or they somehow found a way around it all?

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humphrmi
April 24, 2009 5:43 PM
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It was a tough one for me, because I have issues with both companies, and Citibank treated me like sh!t the last time I asked them for help. But Citibank just simply doesn't care, whereas ticket hackers is much more overtly evil. It's a matter of degrees, but Ticket Smackers wins.

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Papa Midnight
April 24, 2009 5:50 PM
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TicketMaster. Overpriced monopoly wins this one.

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pal003
April 24, 2009 5:58 PM
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Since Citibank's Customer Service just treated my like crap - they ARE the WORST COMPANY!!!

I agree that Ticketmaster is horrible - the monopoly that needs to end - but I rank them as a kind of a luxury.

Meanwhile Citigroup tanked the Economy and caused quite a few job losses in the past year.

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Kimaroo - 100% Pure Natural Kitteh
April 24, 2009 6:37 PM
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@pal003: I don't really get why it matters if what they sell is a luxury or not.. A bad company is a bad company.. and charging me money for printing on my own paper and ink is just.. evil.

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iDevin
April 24, 2009 6:07 PM
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As much as I hate Citibank I'm going to have to vote for Ticketmaster. I have a choice not to use Citibank, Ticketmaster is forced on me if I want to see a show. I rarely bother going to shows now because of the Ticketmaster monopoly. Ticketmaster is killing culture and the arts!

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AbsoluteIrrelevance
April 24, 2009 6:11 PM
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Ticketmaster. A font of uncontrollable evil.

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mariospants
April 24, 2009 6:11 PM
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Evil trumps therefore Ticketmaster wins this round.

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INsano
April 24, 2009 6:15 PM
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This is probably one of the hardest choices in the whole bracket.

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CoarseLive
April 24, 2009 6:17 PM
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Please vote for CITI. Citi is the worst!

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1 replies
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GuinevereRucker
April 24, 2009 6:26 PM
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@CoarseLive: Let's not forget that the Congress passed the measures that gave Citi all our money. I get tired of saying this, but the bailout wasn't the result of the banks, it was our government. The banks could be faulted for *taking* the money, but what company wouldn't take free money? The fault mostly lies with our elected officials for the bailout fiasco.

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razremytuxbuddy
April 24, 2009 6:20 PM
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Citibank. Buying from Ticketmaster is optional. So is using Citibank, except that Citibank preys on the less fortunate, and sets them up to make a killing off of them through never-ending interest and fees. Citibank aggressively goes after these people with mailings, offers and other marketing schemes designed to entice people deep into debt. Then Citibank changes the rules to get even more money from them for as long as possible.
Ticketmaster takes advantage of its monopoly, and trades on tickets as if it were legitimate commodity trading. Ticketmaster is definitely broken and can't be entrusted to fix itself. But, Ticketmaster will leave your grandmother alone if she doesn't try to do business with Ticketmaster. Citibank is a predator, who will go after your grandma's pocketbook, take her to the cleaners and tell her it's her fault.

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StanislausBabalistic
April 24, 2009 6:29 PM
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@razremytuxbuddy: Buying from ticketmaster is optional only in the sense that buying the tickets themselves is optional. Nearly 100% of the time, if you want to see that show, you have to buy the tickets through tickmaster...and pay extra for the \"convenience\" of monopolization.

There are, however, other banks. Which are all bad, but bad choices are better than none?

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razremytuxbuddy
April 24, 2009 6:57 PM
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@StanislausBabalistic: Maybe think of it as a date.

You ask Ms. Ticketmaster out for dinner and a movie. After an expensive dinner, to your surprise, she wants a large buttered popcorn, a large Coke and a box of Junior Mints at the movie. The movie snacks just cost you as much as dinner. You don't have to go out with her again. But if you choose to again sometime, you know what you're in for.

Meanwhile, Ms. Citibank is practically throwing herself at you, so you finally decide to go out with her. She tells you she's on the pill, but later you find out she's pregnant...and a stalker. Eighteen years later, you finally no longer have to make a payment to her every month, so you think she'll stop calling and hanging up on you every hour. She might stop calling, but will continue to try everything she can think of to get you back.

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sweetnjoe
April 24, 2009 6:26 PM
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You all are friggin idiots for letting TM get this far.

You don't have to buy tickets.
You have to have a bank (unless you hide your money under the better).

Get over yourselves. Sheesh.

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11 replies
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Easton21
April 25, 2009 3:21 AM
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@sweetnjoe: Last time I checked, it wasn't Ticketmaster vs \"A Bank\". It's Citibank, and you DON'T have to go there. There are hundreds of other banks to choose from.

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MichaelLC
April 24, 2009 8:59 PM
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@sweetnjoe: Are you the same sweetnjoe from Live Journal? They had a piece about TM recently.

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LegoMan322
April 24, 2009 8:55 PM
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@sweetnjoe: I think you must work for the Consumerist just to say stupid shit to start us talking. If so you earned your money.

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vladthepaler
April 24, 2009 7:01 PM
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@sweetnjoe:

You don't have to buy tickets, but if you want to, you have to use TicketMaster.

You don't have to have a bank, but if you want one, there are plenty to choose from other than CitiBank.

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AHepburnGuy
April 24, 2009 6:58 PM
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@sweetnjoe: Really? Is your reasoning skills so skewed that when you type \"you have to have a bank\" you don't take the next logical step and think \"there are other banks not named Citibank\"? Ticketmaster is the name of ticketing game and we're all losing. Citibank is one of many banks, credit unions and yes mattress brands.

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sweetnjoe
April 24, 2009 7:31 PM
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@AHepburnGuy: As there are other ticketing companies as well. If you don't like it, oh well. It's the venue's decision ultimately who they sign the contract with.

It's a joke that you all consider \"fees\" that are not even placed by this \"evil\" the biggest issue and have pushed them to the final 4 - when you've got bigger problems at a bank if they screw you over.

Just think for a second.... yeah, it still doesn't make sense to me that TM is even in the top 8 right now. The consumerist is just so skewed against it.

Ticketmaster is a SERVICE. Of course it's gonna cost money. Would you rather them charge you to use their website?

Your opinions just don't make sense when you think about how adolescent-minded they are.

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BacteriaEP
April 24, 2009 6:56 PM
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@sweetnjoe:

Gee, in my area, I have the option to bank with about 15 different banks of national and regional access and about 10 different credit unions that I am eligible to join.

On the flip side, for about 90% of my concert/show going purposes I have a single choice for buying my tickets: TicketMaster.

Ticketmaster wins this round. Feel free to whine about it later sweetnjoe.

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snowburnt
April 24, 2009 6:50 PM
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@sweetnjoe: if ticket master had it their way they'd charge a fee for you to go outside, start your car, drive on a highway...

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tbax929
April 24, 2009 6:29 PM
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@sweetnjoe:


But you don't have to bank with Citi. Often times if I want to go to a concert, Ticketmaster is my only option. Hence the TM hatred.

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affilsarah
April 24, 2009 6:40 PM
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Citigroup received $50 billion from the government (us) and then turned around and jacked up their interest rates and fees on their credit cards. They're screwing us twice - taking our tax dollars and making us pay through the nose for credit. True, they're not a monopoly, but they're one of the biggest and baddest in a really big and bad industry.

[blog.affil.org]

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LegoMan322
April 24, 2009 7:09 PM
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@affilsarah: Yes but TicketMaster is just pure evil. If there is a Satan, he is head of the company.

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vladthepaler
April 24, 2009 7:06 PM
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@affilsarah:

Thank you. I still vote TicketMaster, but I appreciate seeing a real reason why one should vote the other way. I actually thought this vote would be a lot closer than it is.

You're probably right that Citi is the worse company. But TicketMaster is the one I have to do business with. If you don't like Citi's rates, there are other credit card companies. If you don't like TicketMaster's fees, your only choice is to skip the show.

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KHook321
April 24, 2009 7:25 PM
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Ticketmaster because they suck and I have no personal experience with Citibank.

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Preyfar
April 24, 2009 7:32 PM
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I think Ticketmaster deserves a special mention/award (e.g. \"The Silver Douche\") even if they don't win in the end. I say this because how many kids and fans WANT to see a show but end up getting gouged in the end by fees, etc.

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snowburnt
April 24, 2009 7:42 PM
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@sweetnjoe: There really aren't other ticketing companies. Any place else you buy a ticket from gets their tickets from Ticket master.

It's not about costing you money, it's about adding $50 to the price of a ticket for 10 different fees.

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2 replies
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sweetnjoe
April 24, 2009 7:53 PM
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@snowburnt: Again, TM is not and never has been in charge of fees. How many times does this need to be said?

And there are other companies. Your venue chooses the company they want to use though, so that's what you have to deal with if you go to concerts....

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PunditGuy
April 24, 2009 8:18 PM
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@sweetnjoe:
>TM is not and never has been
>in charge of fees. How many
>times does this need to be said?

Who IS in charge of fees?

Here's an example.

1 ticket to see U2 in Chicago: $250
Actual cost of ticket when all is said and done, $275.55

Here's the breakdown of the difference between the ticket price and what you pay:

Convenience Charge: 14.95
Building Facility Charge: 2.00
Shipping option (print your own): 2.50
Order Processing Charge: 5.35
Taxes: .75

TicketMaster is obviously not in control of the taxes, and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the facility charge. So out of the $25.55 in extra charges, 89% appears to be charges that TicketMaster has direct control over.

Do you know something we don't?

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nudger
April 24, 2009 8:00 PM
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At Vanno, Ticketmaster (#5856) kicks Citigroup's butt (#415).

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Brian Goetze
April 24, 2009 8:04 PM
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It pisses me off that ticketmaster wants to charge me extra so I can print my tickets at home! That makes no sense at all.

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lowercase
April 24, 2009 8:11 PM
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For what it's worth, ticketmaster isn't a friend to the scalpers either. I've been stuck taking a loss on tickets to games I couldn't go to thanks to ticketmaster's fees. Even sold out or playoff games, it's still hard to sell a ticket for more than face value, even though you have to pay Face +10 or more for the actual ticket.

Maybe elite scalpers have access to fee-free tickets somehow, but for the every day guy trying to unload a pair, they suck out loud.

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kexline
April 24, 2009 8:13 PM
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Uh, I guess I'm in the minority, but Citi has been treating me reeeeally well since the bailout. Disturbingly well. What-are-you-up-to-and-why-did-you-buy-me-flowers well.

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almightytora
April 24, 2009 8:40 PM
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I'll give them a \"convenience charge\" when I hang up the phone or refuse to use their services.

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frank64
April 24, 2009 8:46 PM
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I voted for Ticketmaster. My dealing with Citi have been better than most banks. When they jacked me they gave me the option of opting out and using the card for 1 1/2 years at the old rate. Much better than Chase.

If I want to buy a ticket to an event and they are through Ticketmaster I have no choice. They have a monopoly for that event and they charge me way to much for it.

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West Coast Secessionist
April 24, 2009 9:02 PM
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Can't they BOTH win? Come on, these are the scummiest in the whole bunch right here!

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Anonymous
April 25, 2009 7:28 AM
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@West Coast Secessionist: I agree. It's a tough choice. Ticketmaster charges ridiculous fees. Citi recently raised my APR from 6 to 24% without a reason - one call made it 6 again. But my vote goes to TM, since I go to many concerts and the only way to get a ticket is to go through f!@# TM. IMHO Citi and TM should be waiting as a big final competitors.

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Anonymous
April 24, 2009 10:02 PM
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CitiBank last year decide to jack my rate to 30% after being late one day.. finally a year later they dropped it back to 10% but thats more likely because of all the eyes shadowing over them with rate increases that are hurting customers. If it were not up to the recent media about the Obama administration cracking down on credit companies they would have probally kept it at 30%.

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Barney_The Plug_ Frank
April 24, 2009 10:38 PM
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Why do people piss on Walmart so much! They sale products, for the most part, at the lowest price--a good deal for their consumers. Maybe it's that they are a very successful company and the socialist/communist that infest this blog, cannot stand the fact that a non-unionized company is so successful.
Look at GM and Chrysler as a model of successful unionized corporate partnership--their going down in flames! Sure, the neo-coms will blame it on corporate mngt of both companies; however, the unions play a major factor in their downfall.

And why is Circuit City even listed in the brackets? They were done at the start of the year!

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skywatchbob
April 24, 2009 10:46 PM
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I voted for Ticket Master because they are a parasite. If they went away and we bought tickets directly form the venue prices would fall. All they do is gouge the public. I consider them legal ticket scalping. Venues should sell directly to concert attenders and can the middle man that adds nothing to the concert ticket buying experience.

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HeartBurnKid uses Linux: the taint of OS's
April 24, 2009 11:10 PM
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I voted for Ticketmaster because I just bought tickets today and my butt still hurts.

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kmw2
April 24, 2009 11:28 PM
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I never got what the big deal was about Ticketmaster until I actually bought tickets from them and was charged a $2.50 convenience charge to... print my own tickets? Bzuh?

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sponica
April 25, 2009 1:03 AM
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The Interwebs has only made ticketmaster worse. You used to have to actually wake up *early* on a Saturday (OH NO) and wait in an ACTUAL line with actual people...sometimes they even gave out wristbands. There weren't these things called convenience charges...and if there were, it was like a buck not 10 or 12 or 15 dollars. And maybe in theory there is a choice of whom to buy tickets from but in reality for most of us, it's TM.

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Imaginary
April 25, 2009 3:10 AM
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You know how you shut down a company that you believe is doing wrong? You don't get the government to do it for you. You stop using them. Imagine one ticketmaster show where no one buys a ticket. The bands, through their publicists and managers would eventually get the hint and stop using them. Yes it is that easy. Stop using them and they will go away, that's how business works. Remember that great little restaurant down the road that was suddenly gone. Same thing happened. People stopped going there, but not because they weren't good it was because the mega-corp food place was quicker and more convenient. Lets reverse that trend. Support local.

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Brian W.
April 25, 2009 4:41 AM
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They should have to change their name to TicketBastard.
A concert I would like to go to on Sunday for a non-mainstream band has a 10 dollar service charge. Sadly is enough to keep me from going to said show.

Death to the TicketBastards!

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Rob Mattheu
April 25, 2009 3:13 PM
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I think we should make Ticketmaster worse than AIG. At least that might send a message.

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razremytuxbuddy
April 26, 2009 9:08 PM
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@Rob Mattheu: That would send the message that Consumerist readers value cheap concert tickets over ethical banks. I hate Ticketmaster too, but this contest involves making a choice. I care more that my money and my loved ones' money is safe from a bank I consider to be an unethical predator.

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parnote
April 25, 2009 3:42 PM
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Another contest for those who are nucking futs. Your bank vs. an avenue of entertainment. CitiBank steals/bilks/mishandles your money. Ticketmaster ... not necessary or integral to daily life. If you don't like Ticketmaster, JUST STOP GOING TO TICKETMASTER avenues of entertainment! You think Ticketmaster really cares about a poll and possibly winning a pile-of-poo trophy? Their track record says no. LET YOUR WALLET SEND THE MESSAGE to Ticketmaster. That is, provided you even still have a wallet when CitiBank gets done with you.

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Alex Neihaus
April 26, 2009 9:12 PM
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You guys couldn't have picked two better (worse?) examples of companies that know how to anger consumers.

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