The online ticketing system offered by most entertainment venues nowadays is an absolute scam, a rip-off of quite disgusting proportions. Take, for example, my efforts this week to purchase two tickets for a comedy gig at the Grand Opera House, York.
Go online to the recommended website and it will tell you that the tickets are £23 each. Except that when you try to buy them, you find that each ticket incurs £4.75 in fees. So, rather than paying the tickets' face value of £46, you have to fork out £55.50, a mark up of more than 20%.
Alternatively, though it is not mentioned on the venue's website, you can go to the box office in person and not get charged a fee. Your tickets will cost you £46, and not a penny more.
Oddly enough, I chose the latter course of action, but what happens if you live outside York? Maybe you can phone the box office directly - I'm not sure if this also negates the fees - but I have a suggestion if you can't. Send me a message and, for the price of a bag of chocolate buttons, I'll go in and buy the tickets for you in person.
Go online to the recommended website and it will tell you that the tickets are £23 each. Except that when you try to buy them, you find that each ticket incurs £4.75 in fees. So, rather than paying the tickets' face value of £46, you have to fork out £55.50, a mark up of more than 20%.
Alternatively, though it is not mentioned on the venue's website, you can go to the box office in person and not get charged a fee. Your tickets will cost you £46, and not a penny more.
Oddly enough, I chose the latter course of action, but what happens if you live outside York? Maybe you can phone the box office directly - I'm not sure if this also negates the fees - but I have a suggestion if you can't. Send me a message and, for the price of a bag of chocolate buttons, I'll go in and buy the tickets for you in person.
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