List the seed values please.

Anyone else not seeing images on the main page for posts made today?

Pure monopoly beats Semi-monopoly

These initial horrible-offs are no-brainers.

@citking: Not seeing them either.

This is a hard one, both companies have screwed me in some way. Both are sort of monopolies, so, if you are in their realm, you have no way of avoiding them. But, I think I am going to have to tip my hat to Ticketmaster, because TWC does more than collect fees.

@citking: Yep. Not all the images are loading for me either.

time warner= oppritunistic ISP that still shows custoemrs some occasional respect/

ticketmaster= monopolistic bribing shading scumbag and bain of the music industry(if you're a consumer).

decisions.

@cristiana: Yeah, I agree. At least Time Warner provides services. They may charge way too much and be about to become much more evil (with their capped internet tiers), but Ticketmaster is just a glorified ticket scalper.

Ticketmaster is the only company who can turn a 35 dollar ticket into a 60 dollar ticket.

Every time Ticketmaster does something scammy, they write a letter of apology then keep on doing it.

But concerts are not a real necessity in life whereas internet has become like the telephone, something that is hard to do without. So metered broadband is high up on my list of bad business decisions.

This is a nice pairing, I'm having trouble deciding.

Oh thats a difficult one. They both super suck!

Hmm . . .ticketmaster because of the damned monopoly keeps me from attending mainstream concerts.

I refuse to pay 39$ for a 25$ ticket.

@citking: They are now, but weren't earlier.

@citking:

Same here. Thanks for pointing that out. I was afraid I would have to go to Best Buy for a new computer.

Ticketmaster. At least with Time Warner Cable, if you move, you might escape its grasp. But wherever you move to, Ticketmaster will still be one of the only ways you can purchase tickets. It is far-reaching and ever so present, ready to take your money and sanity.

@SuperRad:

Well duh, they are the only major ticket company.

@pecan 3.14159265: Couldn't have said it better myself.

@Tyler Durden's Imaginary Friend: Yes, please list seed values. :)

Ticketmaster/TicketsNow, NO DOUBT. I still haven't gotten a refund. :|

Why exactly is Ticketmaster even popular with venues/concert promoters at all? It seems to me like if the people selling the tickets would just sell them directly themselves, instead of contracting with Ticketmaster, they could sell them for much cheaper and yet make more profit.

@Keanon Liggatt: That's normal for the first round, when you've got top seeds mowing down the lower seeds. You wouldn't want two heavyweights like Comcast and Ticketmaster pitted against each other in the first round, would you?

I pray for a pop-up (now that Consumerist is a phisher) that queries before the vote, "Like, have you been to a live music event? Ever?!", and "Yes" has to be chosen before the vote is counted.
Since most people saying, "Don't like Ticketmaster's horrible, monopolistic, pillaging ways? Then don't go!" will be the ones not voting for Ticketmaster.

And, I miss the mini-recaps of the contenders. Not LOTS, mind, but a couple sentences explaining why. Sort of like vengeful, spiteful, hateful haiku. But all for the greater good.

I've actually had pretty decent service from TWC, although it doesn't surprise me that others have had problems. TM is the embodiment of monopolistic evil.

@noone1569: That's only $14 in convenience fees, shipping fees, printing fees, taxes, surchages, and order processing fees. How'd you get such a good deal?

@Trai_Dep: It is an option, just not a realistic one. I could LIVE without electricity, but I don't think that's a realistic view either.

Ticketmaster. No contest.

IMO, there's no contest for TM against any other company, either.. They are the most despicable company I've ever had the displeasure of doing business with.

I loathe Time Warner, but there's always the chance another company could move into our area and break their monopoly. Ticketmaster is an evil without decent market competition and they know it.

@ARP: Oh crap, I forgot the $92.50 pre-sale fee.

@johnva: Its not, it is popular with the labels that sign said artists because they do get a substantial kickback from TM to allow TM/Live Nation to promote and feature their artist . . .its all crap.

@Trai_Dep: Oh, Haiku recaps would rock my socks

@noone1569: Seems like a great target for antitrust enforcement.

@shoelace414: Yes. Yes, the seed values. List them, please.
.
.
.
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...what's a seed value?

Ticketmaster all the way!

$2 print at home fee(real)

.99 paper fee
.75 additional processing fee
.99 good seat fee
$4 fee processing fee

I miss the comment/headline samples that were given below the image/poll last year to give us examples of why each company deserves to lose...

Oh come on! Time Warner is much worse - you go on the internet and watch TV way more than you buy tickets. Time Warner wants to add bandwidth caps, overage charges, and they increase prices every year.

@noone1569: I'm a middle man
I bring nothing of value
You pay through the nose

vs.

Media giant
Trouble with business model
Must charge more for less

I think I have to abstain from this vote. I've had zero experience with these companies and the arguments for both are very good.

$13.50 for the tickets
+$6.50 in fees (would have been more but I chose to wait for them through snail mail)
=A vote for Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster is going to run away with this round, especially when you pay a handling fee to print a ticket from your printer.

Again with the "rigging" when there's such an obvious clear-cut company that's going to "win". Now if you'd have matched Time Warner Cable against Comcast, that would have been a fair pairing.

Ticketmaster! You should not have to pay $40 in fees to buy freakin' concert tickets. And said tickets should not be the junk in the back of the venue while all the good tickets go to expensive VIP packages and Ticketmaster's own alternate buying website.

@PunditGuy: Beautiful

@courtarro: Yeah...

the only bummer is that second round has AIG versus Peanut Corp. I mean actively destroying the countries economy and killing people. that seems like at least a final four matchup to me.

@Blueskylaw: you just stated my reasons for picking Timewarner. Internet is way more necessary then concerts. No offense meant to concert folk. Also TicketMaster can't charge you an overage if the band plays an extra encore. "you listened to the music more than the average person and went over you cap, pay up!"

@wcnghj: You get a paper fee on top of "print at home"?

Sweet Jaysus.

Comcast - cable with 4 channels I actually like, shitty customer service, average pricing package of about $99/month, caps on broadband - I think we have a winner

I don't give a toss about Ticketmaster. If I really want to go to a concert (that is rare) I will pay about any price to do that.

I bet if time travel was ever invented Ticketmaster would make a killing selling tickets for concerts in the past. Imagine paying $600+ to see Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett!

TicketMaster is a far shittier company, but Time Warner provides a far more important service that they suck at. Whether today or 20 years from now, you could easily live without going to a concert. But to get raped with overage fees on your 5GB a month limit with internet? Not so much.