Ticketmaster Fees

[bruce3404]

I sure miss the old days when you could mail in an order for tickets and only be surcharged a couple of bucks. Since I don't live in N.O. and can't head down to the Arena in person, the handling and service fees for two weekends for myself and my wife will amount to almost $100 and I doubt if any of that money goes back to the festival. Wish the powers that be would re-consider and let us mail order again.

[scojo]

Yes Ticketbastard sucks!! They must have some real political clout. How else could they get away with a monopoly? The part that really gets me is how they charge EXTRA for printing a ticket on your own paper. That is just a slap in the face. They only reason that I can see that they do that...is because they can.

[electric_lady]

i hear ya both. think i'll just get mine at the gates, works out to be just about $2 more each ticket and all that goes to the Fest, not the evil bastard that has a total monopoly on all ticket selling everywhere.

[scojo]

You know I think I will do that too. I just can't stomach the though of giving more money to this company. Do you have any idea how long the line is if you buy tickets at the gate?

[Blitzzzzz]

C'mon you guys, stop whining. If you are going for two weekends, you are going to be able to buy at least one weekend at the Arena. You can buy the other weekend at the gate and all THAT money will go to the Festival. Of course, you could come in a day early, hit the Arena, hit a nice resteraunt, hit the pool at the hotel and be all rested up for the first day of the Fest. THAT extra money would be money well spent!:cool:

[Zydekitten]

Or . . . for $80 more, you could buy a WWOZ Brass Pass, which not only goes to the NOJHF - but also to help support WWOZ and keep it on the air!!

:D

[scojo]

Blitzzzz.....I'm not "whining" just stating a fact. I am also not coming in for two weekends. Can I afford the fees they charge? Yes I can but that's not the point. What if you went to fill up with gas at a station that controled about 90% of the market and they charged you a fee for the gas tank that YOU provided and YOU pumped gas into. Then just for the hell of it they charged you a handling fee. Now this handling fee might not be the same as the station that they also control....just across the street.......it might be less it might be more. You get the point................

[bruce3404]

I will be arriving on Thursday, but I'm wondering just how long those ticket lines will be at the Arena the day before the first weekend. I wish someone affiliated with the JazzFest organization would address why they've taken away our mail-in option. Even at $2 an order, it should have been profitable and it also probably put a few extra people to work. What's the difference if I stand in line in person or send an envelope with a money order and a SASE?
At least I won't be standing in front of a ticket seller asking inane questions (as some do) and having it cost the organization MORE to sell me the tickets in person.

[Cleophus]

I'd like to buy at the gate this year, but don't want to spend a ton of time in line.
The line at the Sauvage St. entrance 1st Friday of last year was LOOOOONNNGGGG.... (Around 1 or 2 pm.) Does anyone know if it moved quickly?

[Orleansnj]

Or . . . for $80 more, you could buy a WWOZ Brass Pass, which not only goes to the NOJHF - but also to help support WWOZ and keep it on the air!!

:D

OKAY - that is EXACTLY the kind of thinking we need more of !! Screw ticketbastid ! Support WWOZ, get your brass pass, and also access to the hospitality tent where there are slightly cleaner port-o-potties, fans, iced coffee, and fresh fruit.....

And if you need another reason - part of your brass pass is tax deductible - so you are not really spending any extra money !!!


(there is, afterall, a reason why we all refer to them as ticketbastid....)

[bruce3404]

And if you need another reason - part of your brass pass is tax deductible<<

Good point! Of course, if everyone buys the Brass Pass, the lines at those cleaner porta-potties will probably be just as long as those outside:(

[Orleansnj]

And if you need another reason - part of your brass pass is tax deductible<<

Good point! Of course, if everyone buys the Brass Pass, the lines at those cleaner porta-potties will probably be just as long as those outside:(

Nope - not ever...they are only for brass pass holders. I think the most passes they've sold is about 1,000 - a shockingly low number - but I would be willing to wait if everyone did buy the pass- you know why? Everyone in that line would have donated a little $$ to WWOZ - and that's worth the wait.

If you' need a link to the pass http://www.wwoz.com

[stlbarb]

And if you need another reason - part of your brass pass is tax deductible<<

Good point! Of course, if everyone buys the Brass Pass, the lines at those cleaner porta-potties will probably be just as long as those outside:(

i rarely stand in line, and i use the potties often - its all about timing. if a stage just broke, keep walking the next set of PP's will most likely have no one. everyone see's a line and thinks they need to get it in before tehy can't wait that long.

but i like the idea of a Brass Ass Pass. (can i type that here?)

[Orleansnj]

i rarely stand in line, and i use the potties often - its all about timing. if a stage just broke, keep walking the next set of PP's will most likely have no one. everyone see's a line and thinks they need to get it in before tehy can't wait that long.

but i like the idea of a Brass Ass Pass. (can i type that here?)

I dunno if u can - but it's there - and no worse than anything else I've read.......and I think it's a good new name - the BAP

[bruce3404]

While this isn't the real reason to donate to WWOZ, here are some hard numbers related to tax breaks. For my personal purposes, my state and federal bite is around 40% (yours may be more or less). According to the tax code, you can't deduct the entire $350 per pass, since there is some value received. If we assume that value to be the cost of the tickets*, then you'd have a tax write-off of $140 ($350 minus $210, or the cost of 6 days at $35 per). So that $140 write-off is worth about $56 and the net cost is $294. Now if you factor in having to buy the tickets through Ticketb@st@rd, then you've got a cost of $255.40 (including fees). So, in my case at least, it'll only cost around $40 more to put at least $150 into the hands of WWOZ. An easy way to give some needed help to my favorite radio station while also thumbing my nose at the greedy corporate types who control the ticketing distribution in this country.

*I won't even attempt to place a dollar value on free fruit and shorter porta-pottie lines!

[Zydekitten]

That's what I'm talking 'bout - stick it to The Man (Woo Hoo)!!! ;)

[ohio]

i rarely stand in line, and i use the potties often - its all about timing. if a stage just broke, keep walking the next set of PP's will most likely have no one. everyone see's a line and thinks they need to get it in before tehy can't wait that long.

but i like the idea of a Brass Ass Pass. (can i type that here?)Agree. Just keep walkin'- you always seem to find some with no lines. I got Brass Passes this year, but I don't plan on walking all the waythere from deep in the SoCo crowd or whatever just to pee...

[Lester_leaps_in]

We could take a tip from that astronaut chick, and wear diapers . . .

[bruce3404]

We could take a tip from that astronaut chick, and wear diapers . . .


bwahahahaha! I also agree with the previous poster who wasn't going to walk from the Acura or SC stages to pee. Hell, you meet some interesting people in those lines and that's one area where we ALL have at least something in common............

[Papins]

Bruce...in now way shape or form am I defending Ticketbastard, but how did you arrive a price of "255.40 (including fees)" for both weekends of Jazz Fest? I came up with @192.00

[Papins]

My bad-You're right... I goofed and when I re-checked my figures I'd messed up in the multiplication...to quote from Emily Litella "Nevermind"

[Stella Blue]

I didn't see this addressed. Perhaps it was, and I missed it: It is possible to buy Saturday and Sunday in advance if you buy tickets at the gate on Friday? Also, can you get bus tickets in advance at the Sheraton or somewhere else? And why on Earth don't they sell jazz fest tickets at the Sheraton, since that is the official, or unofficial. jazz fest headquarters in the quarter?
Okay, the wine has clearly kicked in, but I did like the ring to that last sentence...:)

[Fred (Texas JF Fanatic)]

I didn't see this addressed. Perhaps it was, and I missed it: It is possible to buy Saturday and Sunday in advance if you buy tickets at the gate on Friday? Also, can you get bus tickets in advance at the Sheraton or somewhere else? And why on Earth don't they sell jazz fest tickets at the Sheraton, since that is the official, or unofficial. jazz fest headquarters in the quarter?
Okay, the wine has clearly kicked in, but I did like the ring to that last sentence...:)

Stella: They stop selling advance tickets on Thursday before 1st & 2nd weekend. But, when you buy tickets on Friday at the gate you can also buy for Sat & Sun. Im not the one to ask about bus tickets, I never ride the bus in from the Quarter. I think someone once said there is no need to buy ahead of time. No long lines for bus tickets.

[stlbarb]

I'd like to buy at the gate this year, but don't want to spend a ton of time in line.
The line at the Sauvage St. entrance 1st Friday of last year was LOOOOONNNGGGG.... (Around 1 or 2 pm.) Does anyone know if it moved quickly?

do you have friends that get their tickets in advance?
borrow a ticket on friday and arrive early on saturday to purchase, and replace the loaner.
i think part of the friday line is will call. and 1-2pm is rush hour for ticket purchases.

[mightyradgumbo]

I didn't see this addressed. Perhaps it was, and I missed it: It is possible to buy Saturday and Sunday in advance if you buy tickets at the gate on Friday? Also, can you get bus tickets in advance at the Sheraton or somewhere else? And why on Earth don't they sell jazz fest tickets at the Sheraton, since that is the official, or unofficial. jazz fest headquarters in the quarter?
Okay, the wine has clearly kicked in, but I did like the ring to that last sentence...:)

Stella...I think you can get tickets for fest @ the Sheraton. You have to have a ticket to take the bus as it brings you inside the gate so I think they do sell them there as well but I would imagine there is a svc charge.

[festivalgirl]

I didn't see this addressed. Perhaps it was, and I missed it: It is possible to buy Saturday and Sunday in advance if you buy tickets at the gate on Friday? Also, can you get bus tickets in advance at the Sheraton or somewhere else? And why on Earth don't they sell jazz fest tickets at the Sheraton, since that is the official, or unofficial. jazz fest headquarters in the quarter?
Okay, the wine has clearly kicked in, but I did like the ring to that last sentence...:)

Do you mean the city bus? The 91 runs along Rampart to Esplanade & Lopez - down the street from Liuzza'a. It's $1.25 each way.

I'm clearly behind - the wine hasn't kicked in here yet!! ;)

[Cleophus]

do you have friends that get their tickets in advance?
borrow a ticket on friday and arrive early on saturday to purchase, and replace the loaner.
i think part of the friday line is will call. and 1-2pm is rush hour for ticket purchases.

Thanks StLBarb -- good idea!

Last year's and 2005's lines seemed much longer than usual to me -- I'd hate to wait in a long line instead of using the time for eating, drinking, music, etc. :)

[steeleye]

Stella...I think you can get tickets for fest @ the Sheraton. You have to have a ticket to take the bus as it brings you inside the gate so I think they do sell them there as well but I would imagine there is a svc charge.

Last year the Sheraton sold a combination ticket that included bus and fest admission. But they wouldn't let us buy fest tickets alone.

We weren't gonna take the express bus and miss the Liuzza's experience!

[swag]

Which is to say, you can buy your Sat & Sun tix in advance on Friday, but you dont save any money. You just save having to wait in line again.

[festivalgirl]

Which is to say, you can buy your Sat & Sun tix in advance on Friday, but you dont save any money. You just save having to wait in line again.

time is money!!! :D ;)

(or .... mime is money!)

[Blitzzzzz]

Blitzzzz.....I'm not "whining" just stating a fact. I am also not coming in for two weekends. Can I afford the fees they charge? Yes I can but that's not the point. What if you went to fill up with gas at a station that controled about 90% of the market and they charged you a fee for the gas tank that YOU provided and YOU pumped gas into. Then just for the hell of it they charged you a handling fee. Now this handling fee might not be the same as the station that they also control....just across the street.......it might be less it might be more. You get the point................

Sorry Scojo, my apologies. Whining is too strong a word.
You're right TB is a racket based on a valuable service. Most promoters can't run a box office to save their lives and gladly hand off the problem to TB who can charge what they want without worry because the people they are screwing are not THEIR customers, the promoter is their customer and the promoters like TB just fine. I doubt that JazzFest would be any better at it than anyone else. Witness the problems WWOZ has had over the years with premium fulfillment.

For what it's worth, the "lines" at the Arena are virtually non-existent in my experience, and while there isn't all that much to do in that neck of the woods, you can pass by Mother's and some interesting galleries on your way back to the Quarter.:cool:

[Stella Blue]

Great stuff. Yes, that is what I meant. I didn't think I would get the "advance'' savings by buying Saturday and Sunday on Friday, but I figured it would save time the other days. And, yes, I was talking about the Jazz Express Bus, usually the school buses, not the city buses.
Does anyone know if the Sheraton will be selling those combination tickets again? It seems to me the solution would be to buy my fest and bus tickets there during the "daze between," thereby being all set, avoiding all lines -- and avoiding Ticketmaster's outrageous fees. It might be a couple of bucks more, but, if I am reading you all right, the money goes to the fest, not to Ticketmaster.
I can't say it enough: This board is just so tremendously helpful in planning this trip and not wasting valuable time on the ground in NOLA.
Thanks..:)

[scojo]

No problem Blitzzzz....and no apology required. I guess I have a "little problem" with TB......lol. Who knows maybe we will meet up at JF...if so I'll buy ya a cold one.

[Chicago Fest Fan]

I dont know if this has been answered somewhere but here go's. Can I purchase tickets at the arena at the discounted ( prefest )price if I arrive Thursday 2nd weeekend. If so what time does the arena box office close? and finally Where is the arena?
Thanks

[stlbarb]

I dont know if this has been answered somewhere but here go's. Can I purchase tickets at the arena at the discounted ( prefest )price if I arrive Thursday 2nd weeekend. If so what time does the arena box office close? and finally Where is the arena?
Thanks

yes.
at New Orleans Arena, 1501 Girod Street. (i think its next to the superdome)
i couldnt find teh thread with the time, i think it was 4:30.
but there could be a long line. make that very long.

[Chicago Fest Fan]

After further review I found the answer to most of my questions

2nd Weekend (May 4, 5, 6)
Advance adult ticket: $35 (each ticket valid for one day only)
(after May 3) : $45
Child's ticket: $5 (advance or gate) (ages 2 - 11)

It is located next to the Superdome.
The only thing that i was unsure of was the hours that the box office is open. I did not see this info on their website

Thanks Barb.

[Frosty]

My wife and I wanted to take our daughters to a Flamenco Dance show a few weeks back. Tickets were very reasonable. But, after adding on about 80% in Ticketa$$es fees, they were not worth it. We ended up not going and not supporting a dance troop that likely needs every dollar they can get. A reasonable $3 fee per ticket would have been fine. But, $9 per, forget it.

[Jordan]

I can't say it enough: This board is just so tremendously helpful in planning this trip and not wasting valuable time on the ground in NOLA.
Thanks..:)

Don't worry Stella, we'll figure out plenty of ways to waste your time when you get to NOLA, so we'll be even.

[bruce3404]

[>>>>>>I doubt that JazzFest would be any better at it than anyone else. Witness the problems WWOZ has had over the years with premium fulfillment.<<<<<<<<

But Jazzfest WAS quite good at mail orders in the past. I used the mail order system for five previous festivals and it worked fine. I can only surmise that TB leaned on them to scrap mail order. Again, I'd sure like to hear an official reason why mail order is no longer an option.

[Belle]

We love the band Great Big Sea out of Newfoundland. Travel to see them in fact. Kind like the old Dead daze:)

Anywho... they sell tickets in advance to diehards like me and the fees from Ticketmaster are avoided but they arrive in the mail with Ticketbastard on the back. Whats up with that? Anyone know. They also state on the message boards that if you buy directly from the "boys" it supports the band more. Anyone know how they do this?

[Belle]

We love the band Great Big Sea out of Newfoundland. Travel to see them in fact. Kind like the old Dead daze:)

Anywho... they sell tickets in advance to diehards like me and the fees from Ticketmaster are avoided but they arrive in the mail with Ticketbastard on the back. Whats up with that? Anyone know. They also state on the message boards that if you buy directly from the "boys" the service fee of 2.00 supports the band. Anyone know how they do this?

Weird using quote on my own and don't want to take anything away from the new tread so read this and lets continue on the new thread if you care to.

Is this the type of stuff that caused the lawsuit you all reference?

[Cleophus]

Very cool that the band does that (low service charge), but I have no idea how they do it! Especially if the tix say "Ticketmaster" on the back.

[stlbarb]

Very cool that the band does that (low service charge), but I have no idea how they do it! Especially if the tix say "Ticketmaster" on the back.

you can hire ticketmaster to print your tickets.

[Belle]

Cleophus about that avatar??