Feds subpoena Ticketmaster over egregious concert ticket prices — A spokesperson for Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, said the firm doesn't “feel comfortable” sharing information with Congress

Comments

• db2@sopuli.xyz ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  This is how you know deregulation doesn’t work.

  source
• Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  I don’t feel comfortable with them essentially operating a monopoly that both consumers and artists detest. I don’t feel comfortable with paying exuberant meaningless fees if I ever want to experience a live event. It’s never mattered what I’m comfortable with, I’ve always gotten fucked. I don’t care how uncomfortable they are, I hope they get absolutely destroyed by legal fees and go bankrupt.

  source

  • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Not just them, everyone doing it.

    We used to be able to get tickets to concerts at a small venue here by going into one of the music shops. No stupid fees, just whatever the ticket price was.

    The venue stopped selling through these stores semi recently, moved to an online service, and now there’s no less than 30% fees, sometimes as high as 40%.

    It’s absolutely ridiculous.

    source

    • bratosch@lemm.ee ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      “the venue” is most likely owned my LiveNation, which also owns Ticketmaster. That’s why they CAN have those insanely inflated prices, because they control everything. Like someone mentioned, Pearl Jam tried going off the beaten track and find venues NOT owned by LiveNation , which proved to be … hard

      source

      • -> View More Comments
    • hydrashok@sh.itjust.works ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      I bet they probably also wonder why suddenly attendance has dropped off, too.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
  • sparky1337@ttrpg.network ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Pearl Jam tried this in the 90’s and got ran over. There would have to be people in congress that cared enough.

    source
  • cooopsspace@infosec.pub ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Not to mention they own much of the secondary market and makes a lot of money off scalping being a thing.

    source

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Pretty sure they’ve gotten in trouble reserving seats for scalpers. They called them “premium buyers” or something because they bought an insane amount of tickets, more than any person could reasonably use.

      TM still takes their cut when an original is bought. But then they take another when it’s resold on their platform again. They make more money the more times a ticket gets resold.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
  • Lev_Astov@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    They are exuberant about their exorbitant fees.

    source

    • Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Auto correct did me dirty

      source
• realitista@lemm.ee ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Ticketmaster/Live Nation is one of the most blatant monopolies in all of history. They should be torn to shreds.

  source

  • Bonskreeskreeskree@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Most people don’t even know how many music venues the monopoly has acquired over the past 20 years

    source

    • slumberlust@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      It’s be easier to count the ones they haven’t gotten, on one hand.

      source
  • DeathWearsANecktie@lemm.ee ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    For sure, this shit has been bothering me for years. For as long as I can remember, Ticketmaster has been the only way of getting tickets to big events near me. And I presume it’s the same for everyone else too.

    How have they got away for so long without any competition?

    source
  • OhmsLawn@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Torn to shreds and soaked in lye until a smooth pulp is formed.

    source
• adaveinthelife@lemmy.ca ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Is it the kind of discomfort one feels when they need to use a bathroom but there is only one for a 10,000 person event? Or the kind of discomfort one feels when it’s a record heat wave but a bottle of water is $20 and despite advertising free water stations, there are none? Oh or maybe the discomfort in paying mystery fees that equal the price of the ticket?

  Or maybe the kind of discomfort that only an illegitimate business model about to be exposed would evoke?

  source

  • Adalast@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Sounds more like the discomfort of buying a ticket to a show for someone they think won’t be popular when they go on sale for $20 then having your tickets cancelled the week before the show when they blow up on YouTube and the show sells out in hours for over $200/ticket.

    source

    • Kiosade@lemmy.ca ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Whoa that happened? What was the artist?

      source

      • -> View More Comments
  • e_mc2@feddit.nl ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    I sure hope it’s all of the above combined times a zillion.

    source
• ohlaph@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  I don’t feel comfortable with their prices.

  source

  • Rentlar@lemmy.ca ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    I don’t feel comfortable with their monopolistic and anti-competitive practices either.

    source
• firewyre@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  See what happens when you don’t jail cunts that ignore congressional subpoenas?!?

  source
• ilinamorato@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  When your kids say “don’t look in my pockets!” they definitely have something there you shouldn’t see.

  source

  • SaakoPaahtaa@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    When your dog pushes back on you trying to pry open their mouth, you know where the missing family cockatoo is.

    source
  • BeautifulMind@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Hahahaha yesterday during the pie preparations my daughter and I passed each other as I was heading back to the kitchen and she said, apropos of nothing, “I didn’t just steal any whipped cream, shut up!”

    LOL I didn’t know they’d been looting the whipped cream before that point but bless their hearts it was cute

    source

    • ilinamorato@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      lol nice. My 3 year old keeps saying “Dad don’t look!” It’s funny when it’s a three year old with an orange.

      source
• CptOblivius@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  In the early 2000s Ticketmaster began to really take off. The fees and extras really started to bother me. So I stopped going to any events that used them. Other than a few state/county fair events I haven’t been to a concert since 2001. Because of Ticketmaster. I have no regrets either.

  source
• lemann@lemmy.one ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Release the dogs on them. Live Nation has done nothing but rip off concert goers and harm small bands with their ridiculous fees and contractual venue restrictions, and this is without even touching on the horrible ticket scalping issues that they refuse to do anything about.

  If I’m also recalling correctly, if a venue is signed up to Ticketmaster they cannot independently host events - everything has to be done through Ticketmaster 🤦‍♂️

  source

  • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    If I’m also recalling correctly, if a venue is signed up to Ticketmaster they cannot independently host events - everything has to be done through Ticketmaster 🤦‍♂️

    I may be wrong here, but I think this is an optional sign on, but they get something out of agreeing to it.

    source

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Also not sure, but I think it was something about concessions. Like if they don’t agree, TM takes a cost of beer and food which is a huge money maker.

      The option is likely just there to say it’s technically optional.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
• SaintWacko@midwest.social ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  “Oh, really? Well, we don’t feel comfortable continuing your license to practice business in the United States!”

  source
• spiderkle@lemmy.ca ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Ticketmaster is a mafia. They pressure venues to take unfavorable deals or exclude them for tours completely, if they don’t pay extra. That should be enough for some nice charges. They are not above the law and their prices really are criminal.

  source

  • FlavoredButtHair@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Ticketmaster is the reason I don’t go to any events.

    source
  • Adalast@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Honestly sounds like a RICO case to me.

    source
• pacoo2454@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  “After facing criticism from both fans and politicians for its failed handling of Taylor Swift ticket sales, Live Nation Entertainment announced a “Fair Ticketing Act” proposal in February that would try to combat bots and ticket scalpers in the resale market. Nothing yet appears to have come from this proposal.”

  No shit. What incentive do they actually have to make changes when the current system makes them more money?

  source

  • ikidd@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    That’s because they’re the fucking scalpers.

    source
• firewyre@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Too fucking bad, I don’t feel comfortable with you existing.

  source
• DarkMessiah@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  It’s a subpoena. Comfortable doesn’t even begin to come into play.

  source

  • Adalast@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    That’s what I was thinking. The oil and gas industry and the auto industry has a lot more pull and clout than LN/TM and they were both dragged in front of Congress. Do you think they were “comfortable” with their interrogations by unfriendly congressmen? Fuck no. Did they go without too much whining, as far as I remember.

    source
• toiletobserver@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Another obvious monopoly we refuse to break up.

  source

  • Decoy321@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    What you mean “we”?

    source

    • BellaDonna@mujico.org ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      We…the people? Isn’t that what US Americans say?

      source

      • -> View More Comments
• Fades@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  These goddamn capitalists pigs are out of control

  source

  • occhionaut@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    we need to harvest already, theyre shitting and squealing everywhere.

    source
• RoseRose56@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Who cares if you feel comfortable? Did you ask me if people are comfortable paying high prices for tickets? You took all this money, and you keep doing it! You are a thief, my dude; you make people pay more than what they are supposed to pay. People are stupid too, instead of stop buying tickets, and report ticketmaster and live nation, they are keeping buying tickets! bravoooooo!!!

  source
• TangledHyphae@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  I don’t “feel comfortable” paying extortion prices, either.

  source
• RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  “Why don’t you feel comfortable about sharing?”

  “Before I tell you, you have to promise not to indict me.”

  “…”

  “Promise?”

  “… okay. We promise not to indict you.”

  “Okay, the thing is, I may have conspired with competitors to corner the market on ticket sales and bought up 85% of performance venues to lock in performers into using me to distribute tickets. Thus giving me near total control of the market.”

  “Yeah, that’s a monopoly. We’re breaking you up.”

  “YOU PROMISED NOT TO!”

  “No, we promised not to indict you. Commerce doesn’t need an indictment to pull your articles of corporation.”

  “Durnit!”

  source
• SinningStromgald@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  If this doesn’t end with Ticketmaster getting broken up it will be an egregious miscarriage of justice.

  source

  • n3m37h@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    And CEO / Board members be barred from seeing the sun ever again

    source
• foggy@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Go. Fuck. Yourselves.

  With a 10 inch dildo.

  I hope their fucking shareholders do time.

  source

  • GobiasIndustries@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Add another 8 inches worth of services fees in there too.

    source
  • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Pineapple is more appropriate

    source
• Decoy321@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  I wish I could try that with a cop.

  “Sorry, officer. I don’t feel comfortable showing you my license and registration.”

  source

  • 14th_cylon@lemm.ee ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    well good news everyone - you most definitely can try that 😆

    and you will be about as succesful as they will be with their subpoena refusal.

    source
• BeardedSingleMalt@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  A local, small time hockey team has middle-arena ticket for $13. The price almost doubles because they use tm. $10 in cOnVeNiEnCe fees and processing and the “privilege” of using their shitty app.

  source
• hydrashok@sh.itjust.works ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Thankfully, subpoenas don’t care about how comfortable your are.

  source
• BeautifulMind@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Oh no, they’re uncomfortable?

  All the more reason for them to comply, really

  source
• Skates@feddit.nl ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  To be fair, I don’t feel comfortable sharing information with anyone, let alone fucking congress. So I can kinda see their point.

  On the other hand, I also don’t feel comfortable with the spokesperson not getting raped with a rake. What now, spokesperson? How shall we solve this little dilemma?

  source
• reddig33@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Well that only took forty years. They’ve been doing this since the 80s.

  source

  • Szymon@lemmy.ca ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Don’t worry, they’ll be doing it another 40

    source
• Brkdncr@sh.itjust.works ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Nice! Let’s do insurance next!

  source
• Synthead@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  $30? That’ll be $180, please. -TicketMaster

  source