2 for 1 Broadway Lion King Ticket Overcharging Issue?

[jess_be]

Posted: 8/19/13 at 10:52am

I had a pre-sale code for the 2 for 1 B-way deal and I was looking for tickets to Lion King. While the presale code worked I noticed that the tickets were $69.50 plus fees each ONLY for row H for any of the available Sundays. This number seemed high since the Sundays before AND after the 2 for 1 sale show the same tickets are $116.25 for Sunday Sept 1st and $108.25 for Sunday Sept 22nd. In fact these seats are NEVER more than $117 even on a Saturday night, so I called Ticketmaster today to see if there was an error because the tickets are not half off. Turns out that the only tickets available for the lower price during the sale IS row H only on Sundays and the seats are raised to the regular price of $137.50 just during this sale. I find this a really sketchy practice since these tickets are not TRULY half price (buy 2 for 1) any normal ticket price instead half off of this arbitrary number. I guess I am a fool to believe in transparency – have people found this type of thing to be common during this 2 for 1 deal?

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 8/19/13 at 11:20am

The $137.50 is not an arbitrary number, it's their original non-discounted price and remains so even if they regularly or even always discount from that price. Go shopping in a store that advertises 50% off. It will always be off the original retail price even if they haven't actually charged that price in months. If it said 50% off our already discounted price, that's something else but 2 for 1 will always be based off the original non-discounted price. There is nothing unusual, inappropriate or sketchy about this practice that I can see.

[jess_be]

Posted: 8/19/13 at 11:41am

F Bob,
Dont get me wrong I still sucked it up and got tickets since these things are never on sale. And that is part of the issue - there is nothing but the regular price tickets and very very rarely discount rates for this show. I was merely stating that is seemed sketchy that the only time this full price ticket goes above $117 for any day of the week all year (barring the week of christmas for $142)is during this sale. So while the price is half off the $137 in this case the number truly is arbitrary and raised so that the ticket is priced higher than the normal rates for this time of year. This is still a relatively good deal for this show but seems to be a bad practice (in my opinion). I was wondering if OTHER shows did this or just Lion King.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/19/13 at 11:44am

I think given timing (it's September and people are going back to school), they lowered ticket prices for certain weeks. Granted, I don't think it is enough to make a huge impact on people's buying decisions, but I think that is why it is lower those weeks. I was under the impression that the base ticket price was $137.50, and with this special 50% off discount, they did not change the base price as they did for other weeks.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 8/19/13 at 12:36pm

So Jess to answer your question, yes, other shows do the exact same thing. I just got an e-mail about 2 for 1 ticket offers for other shows in September and they all state clearly in the Terms and Conditions "May not be combined with other offers or discounts".

Again, contrary to what you continue to state, they did not RAISE the prices to $137 for this sale (they simply removed the "usual" discount - what you have come to perceive as the "regular" price - and put in a new, larger one) and the $137 is not an arbitrary number. This 2 for 1 offer is just a different discount for these particular performances. They don't combine multiple discounts so for you to expect that this 2 for 1 would be based off another already discounted price is completely unrealistic and not how these offers work. Read the terms and conditions. It should speak to it clearly. It's not a bad or sketchy practice at all.

[oasisjeff]

Posted: 8/19/13 at 12:37pm

Paying $70 for Lion King is sucking it up?!

A few weeks back, we paid $170 per seat... but when nieces and nephews are visiting for the summer, that's how things go.

[jess_be]

Posted: 8/19/13 at 1:55pm

Ah ok well my simmering frusteration is subsidding lol. I did not know that the price of a ticket can constantly have a discount that the customer is unaware of. Jeff, yes for me a person in her 20's a $80 ticket for myself and my sister is a high expense and I have waited since I missed the sale last year to be able to afford tickets so that I can take my little sister with me so every little bit makes a difference. I was just expecting to pay/budgeting one price and was surprised(and frusterated this morning)to find another. Lesson learned.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/19/13 at 3:07pm

I would hardly call the $117 price tag a discount either (even if, technically, that is what it is).