What exactly is a "service charge"?- Page 2

[sassylash3s]

Posted: 7/11/23 at 12:39pm

Kdogg36, I think you just invented TodayTix.

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 7/11/23 at 1:36pm

sassylash3s said: "Kdogg36, I think you just invented TodayTix."

HA SO TRUE 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 7/11/23 at 6:25pm

sassylash3s said: "Kdogg36, I think you just invented TodayTix."

I was going to mention this, but in my experience TodayTix has very limited availability, charges more than $5-10 per purchase, and doesn't make you feel good about directly supporting a starving student rather than a big corporation. 

Updated On: 7/11/23 at 06:25 PM

[jagman1062]

Posted: 7/11/23 at 7:22pm

Years ago, there were ticket brokers who sold tickets to different events (mostly theater and sporting events) and charged service fees for the convenience of not having to go directly to a venue to purchase tickets. Living in northern NJ, there were two near me that I remember. They were also in the City, some right in the theater district. As I recall, there was one next to the Imperial's entrance. I was always curious how those brokers stayed in business because patrons could just as easily walk to the box office. Over time, things shifted and patrons were able to purchase tickets over the phone, and eventually online, and people paid the charges in exchange for the convenience of not having to go very far to purchase tickets. At first, tickets were mailed via the USPS or held at the box office, until email made sending tickets easier. Yes, the fees have increased over time, and some seem absurd (until recently, Telecharge charged consumers $3.00 per ticket to have it emailed to them), but it's a trade off for saving time and travel expenses to get to the box office if you don't live near midtown. I'm not defending the fees, but giving some perspective that fees always existed through third party vendors.

[jeanmarie1964]

Posted: 7/12/23 at 2:49pm

kdogg36 said: "sassylash3s said: "Kdogg36, I think you just invented TodayTix."

I was going to mention this, but in my experience TodayTix has very limited availability, charges more than $5-10 per purchase, and doesn't make you feel good about directly supporting a starving student rather than a big corporation."

are you really under the impression the people out buying your tickets in Times Square for 8 hours a day are corporate employees?

[kdogg36]

Posted: 7/12/23 at 5:35pm

jeanmarie1964 said: "are you really under the impression the people out buying your tickets in Times Square for 8 hours a day are corporate employees?"

Actually, I admit that I don't know how they're paid, so definitely let me know how it works if you have a moment.

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 7/12/23 at 6:21pm

kdogg36 said: "sassylash3s said: "Kdogg36, I think you just invented TodayTix."

I was going to mention this, but in my experience TodayTix has very limited availability, charges more than $5-10 per purchase, and doesn't make you feel good about directly supporting a starving student rather than a big corporation."

To be fair, back in the day TodayTix was only charging $10 a ticket for fees (and had a referral program where they would give you $5 or so for referring someone).  But the issues with seating choice you highlighted in your original post are exactly why you can't select a specific seat most of the time on TodayTix.  There are a couple Facebook groups that do similar things I believe, where one person gets a bunch of tickets with some sort of discount or through group pricing and sells them directly to people.

[Kad]

Posted: 7/12/23 at 6:21pm

…that is not how TodayTix works, at all. They’re a broker like any other now. They’re not sending kids to box offices with a credit card and buying tickets on an as-needed basis. They have blocks of tickets. That’s how they’re able to offer so many options. 
 

Kdogg is describing something closer to a concierge service, which as far as I am aware does not exist on this scale. 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 7/12/23 at 6:28pm

TodayTix does have established relationships with some theaters now, but there definitely still is some level of buying tickets at a box office with a credit card.  I have a friend who worked at TodayTix and literally did that within the last 2 years.

[jeanmarie1964]

Posted: 7/12/23 at 7:02pm

Kad said: "…that is not how TodayTix works, at all. They’re a broker like any other now. They’re not sending kids to box offices with a credit card and buying tickets on an as-needed basis. They have blocks of tickets. That’s how they’re able to offer so many options.


Kdogg is describing something closer to a concierge service, which as far as I am aware does not exist on this scale."

No that isn't how it works, at all, either. You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. 

Updated On: 7/12/23 at 07:02 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 7/12/23 at 7:32pm

jeanmarie1964 said: "Kad said: "…that is not how TodayTix works, at all. They’re a broker like any other now. They’re not sending kids to box offices with a credit card and buying tickets on an as-needed basis. They have blocks of tickets. That’s how they’re able to offer so many options.


Kdogg is describing something closer to a concierge service, which as far as I am aware does not exist on this scale."

No that isn't how it works, at all, either. You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

Well you’ve managed to tell others they’re wrong without actually explaining how it works, so please go ahead. 

[jeanmarie1964]

Posted: 7/12/23 at 7:39pm

Kad said: "jeanmarie1964 said: "Kad said: "…that is not how TodayTix works, at all. They’re a broker like any other now. They’re not sending kids to box offices with a credit card and buying tickets on an as-needed basis. They have blocks of tickets. That’s how they’re able to offer so many options.


Kdogg is describing something closer to a concierge service, which as far as I am aware does not exist on this scale."

No that isn't how it works, at all, either. You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

Well you’ve managed to tell others they’re wrong without actually explaining how it works, so please go ahead."

But I did. I said people are sent out for 8 hour shifts to buy your tickets at the theatre's box office every single day. Quite literally with credit cards, I might add. You said that's not how it works. That's how we got here.

 

Updated On: 7/12/23 at 07:39 PM

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 7/12/23 at 8:10pm

jeanmarie is right. and the fact that you think brokers buy "blocks" of tickets (and would therefore take the risk of their inventory not selling) for shows that aren't of MUSIC MAN sell-out status is just bad business.

[benhow2]

Posted: 7/17/23 at 7:50am

popular_elphie said: "jeanmarie is right. and the fact that you think brokers buy "blocks" of tickets (and would therefore take the risk of their inventory not selling) for shows that aren't of MUSIC MAN sell-out status is just bad business."

That's a very accurate description. There are a lot of interesting ideas in this thread, but it's all speculation and no precision, as I understand it. I came across similar issues while working on my business school research project and was interested in understanding them. The complexity of the ticketing industry can be overwhelming, especially when trying to understand the various fees that are added to the ticket price. To gain a better understanding, I am considering using platforms such as https://essays.edubirdie.com/economics-assignments to help me analyze a complex issue. By studying the topic from different perspectives, I hope to unravel the intricacies of service charges and their impact on the ticketing industry.

Updated On: 7/26/23 at 07:50 AM