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Following Wednesday’s controversy over fees, which the group’s frontman Robert Smith previously said made him “disgusted,” Ticketmaster has partially banned ticket buyers for the recently announced US tour of The Cure. It is a relatively unheard-of move to offer a reasonable refund.
Smith announced on Twitter on Thursday that the refunds will come the day after Cure tickets first went on sale. was expressed. Regarding the former concern, some buyers who purchased tickets for as low as $20 per seat posted screenshots detailing that the price was higher than the ticket itself.
Those who purchase tickets from the lowest price range will get $10 back, Smith said. Otherwise he will be $5.
“After further discussion, Ticketmaster agreed that many of the fees being charged were excessively high and, as a gesture of goodwill, charged all Verified Fan Accounts of Lowest Ticket Price (‘ltp’) transactions We have offered a $10 refund per ticket,” Smith wrote on Twitter. “And for all Cure shows at all venues, for all other ticket price deals, we will issue a $5 ticket refund to all verified fan accounts.”
It’s not immediately clear when Ticketmaster had taken such a step before, but how vocalist Smith played a role in the band’s desire to keep tickets more affordable for fans. Prior to its release, Cure had taken important steps to ensure fans would only pay face value for their tickets. Refusing to use platinum or dynamic pricing to protect tickets, it made tickets non-transferable so scalpers could not easily raise prices in the secondary market.
Cure’s strategy comes at a time of heightened debate in the ticket market. For years, especially since Taylor Swift’s Eras tour went on sale in November, Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, have been loyal not only to music fans, but to the company’s exclusive rights. It has also been heavily criticized by regulators who question whether it exists. About the live music business.
The company faces an ongoing Justice Department investigation and was heavily questioned during a Senate judiciary hearing in January.Live Nation has repeatedly denied claims of monopoly. Since February, Live Nation has become more aggressive in its push for ticket sales laws that empower artists and limit tactics from scalpers. They reject this effort, claiming it is a finger-pointing attempt to avoid changes that would remove some of the .)
In a series of tweets Wednesday following fan complaints, Smith took aim at scalpers and dynamic pricing strategies, calling the latter a “scam” and pointing out that artists have the option to participate in it.
A customer screenshot that went viral detailed both the service fee from Ticketmaster and the facility fee set by the venue. (In this case, the venue was neither owned nor operated by Live Nation.) Together, these charges are higher than the ticket price itself.
“Like all of you, I’m disgusted by today’s Ticketmaster fee debacle,” Smith wrote in a subsequent tweet. No. I’ve been asking how they’re justified, and I’ll let you all know when I get a coherent answer.”
Aside from refunds, Smith wrote that fans will be informed about ticket sales on Friday as soon as details are known.
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