Consumerist reader Ben recently went on Ticketmaster to buy six tickets to catch the Book of Mormon at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago. The tickets alone were pricey enough (around $90/each) and of course there were more than $10/ticket in fees. But when he looked at the receipt, he saw he’d been hit with another $245.10 above what he’d expected to pay. [More]
Beware Of Expensive Venue-Specific Add-Ons When Buying Tickets Online
By March 11, 2013
Ticketmaster CEO Takes Pity On 49ers Fans Who Fell Victim To Super Bowl Ticket Craigslist Scam
By January 30, 2013
We’ve warned readers many times about the dangers of Craigslist or other online scams, especially in the weeks leading up to big events like the Super Bowl, but for one couple and their family, paying $5,900 for tickets to the game made it seem like a legit deal. Oh, but it wasn’t. And while their story has a happy ending (spoiler alert), there are many scamees who aren’t so lucky. [More]
With Average Prices Of $3K Already, So Begins The 2013 Super Bowl Ticket Frenzy
By January 21, 2013
Hurray! Your team won the AFC or the NFC championships, congratulations and no the rest of us aren’t bitter that Aaron Rodgers isn’t in the Super Bowl*. If you’ve had your heart set on rooting on either the Baltimore Ravens or the San Francisco 49ers in the big game, we hope you’ve been saving up. Ticket prices are already going for an average of about $3,195.14. [More]
A Reminder: Clicking The First Link You See In Google Isn’t Always Such A Great Idea
By December 10, 2012
Theatregoers, beware. Well, actually, people who are out to buy much of anything, beware. Just typing what you’re looking for into Google and clicking on the first link you see can lead to a world of trouble. Or at least a world of overpayment. That’s what Doug learned when he went to surprise his wife with tickets to the musical version of her favorite movie. He clicked on one of the top links, which he didn’t realize were sponsored ones. [More]
Greyhound Has A Strange Understanding Of The Word 'Refundable'
By August 14, 2012
Noa bought Greyhound tickets that were sold as refundable. Unfortunately, the bus line was using some other, little-known sense of the word “refundable” that actually means “we will charge you extra for a refund, but not actually grant a refund if this route is discontinued.” It didn’t make a whole lot more sense to Noa, either. [More]
No Car Will Escape This "Future Now" Speed Cam
By November 1, 2011
Most photo radar systems can’t keep track of more than one car at a time. But the descriptively-named “Cordon multi-target Photo Radar System” can. If these bad boys get deployed across America, people who pride themselves on their speeding skills better cool their jets. [More]
Vegas Dismisses $896 Ticket They Gave Car Parked In New York
By October 26, 2011
Sometimes it just takes a little followup. That’s what got a $896 ticket vaporized that the city of Las Vegas had erroneously slapped on Charlotte’s car while it was 2,000 miles away in New York state. [More]
Car Racks Up $896.80 Vegas Parking Ticket While Sitting In New York
By October 25, 2011
Charlotte is bewildered as to how her Camry somehow got a for $896.80 ticket for parking in a handicapped spot in Las Vegas while it was sitting happily in New York State. Had her car been secretly running out of town to go galavant around Sin City behind her back? [More]
Bronx DA Seeks To Indict 17 Cops In Massive Ticket Fixing Scandal
By September 20, 2011
A two-year investigation into ticket fixing, where cops agree to make tickets disappear in exchange for bribes, gifts and favors, is expected to result in the indictment of 17 NYPD cops. [More]
How A Travel Hacker Buys An Airplane Ticket
By September 14, 2011
Nomadic Matt is essentially a professional world traveler, having quit his job in 2006 to pursue his love of trekking all around the globe. He shares his tips and the pricematching steps he takes before he books any ticket. [More]
Ignoring Police Protests, Philly Tickets Good Samaritan
By July 8, 2011
No good deed goes unpunished. [More]
Poor Attendance And Online Ticket Sales Are A Baseball Fan's Dream
By May 29, 2011
Major League Baseball teams can try to raise their ticket prices to increase revenue, but supply and demand ultimately determine their prices. Seas of empty seats at baseball games and stockpiles of marked-down tickets available on sites such as StubHub can make for ridiculously cheap tickets, especially in cities with bad teams. [More]
Ticketmaster To Lower Admission Prices On Poor-Selling Events
By April 20, 2011
If no one’s buying tickets to events later this year, Ticketmaster will start to lower the price of admission as the date draws nearer. The concept, which it’s calling “dynamic pricing,” will punish early buyers and reward those who hold out until the days before a slow-selling event takes place. On the other hand, if ticket sales start speeding back up, Ticketmaster could raise the prices. [More]
Kansas Couple Convicted Of Ticket Scam, Sentenced To Prison
By April 15, 2011
A University of Kansas ticket official and her husband were convicted of aiding a $2 million illegal ticket ring in which they admitting to stealing and selling basketball and football tickets. [More]
How Does A $25 Traffic Ticket Become A $911 Ticket?
By April 5, 2011
When you receive a parking or traffic ticket, don’t forget about it. In this time of widespread budget crisis at all levels of government, they’re apparently not messing around. Brent received a ticket from a California Highway Patrol officer for not changing the address on his driver’s license. He made the change, but forgot to send the ticket back. In just a few months, his $25 fine somehow turned into a $911 fine. Wait, what? [More]
5 Ways To Avoid Getting Ripped Off On Super Bowl Tickets
By February 3, 2011
The Better Business Bureau sent out an alert to warn fans about Super Bowl ticket cons. The advice is geared specifically toward Sunday’s big game, but rings true for most sporting events: [More]
Tuesday And Wednesday Are Best Days To Buy Airfare, Smart Guys Say
By February 1, 2011
The best day to buy airfare is often Tuesday, but Wednesday also offers good deals, which are sometimes even better. How come? [More]
Yankees Cut Me Great Deal: 5 Tickets For The Price Of 6
By January 14, 2011
A Yankees fan who is so hardcore that he buys actual tickets to physically go to games, Scott not only has to deal with the failure to land Cliff Lee but also a missing ticket from his six-pack order. The screw-up is thanks to a mailing snafu he can’t seem to get the club to address. [More]
