Robert Smith says he is “sickened” by reports from Cure fans showing they paid more in Ticketmaster fees for their upcoming tour than the face value of the ticket.
A screenshot from a ticket sale started making the rounds on Twitter. It showed a fan buying four tickets priced at $20 each. Then came the fees. First, there was an $11.65 “Service Fee” on each ticket adding $46.60 to the total. Then, a “Facility Charge” of $10 per ticket added an additional $40. Finally, there was an “Order Processing Fee” of $5.50. This took a ticket sale from $80 to $172.10.
So @thecure and @RobertSmith wanted to keep ticket prices at a reasonable level for fans on their upcoming North American tour dates. Of course @Ticketmaster absolutely rinsed them with ridiculous extra charges
wtf even is a service fee or a facility charge or processing fee?? pic.twitter.com/jsgspXnifj
— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) March 16, 2023
Smith took to Twitter writing, “I am as sickened as you all are by today’s Ticketmaser ‘fees’ debacle. To be very clear: The artist has no way to limit them.” He continues, “I have been asking how they are justified. If I get anything coherent by way of an answer, I will let you all know.”
I AM AS SICKENED AS YOU ALL ARE BY TODAY’S TICKETMASTER ‘FEES’ DEBACLE. TO BE VERY CLEAR: THE ARTIST HAS NO WAY TO LIMIT THEM. I HAVE BEEN ASKING HOW THEY ARE JUSTIFIED. IF I GET ANYTHING COHERENT BY WAY OF AN ANSWER I WILL LET YOU ALL KNOW. X
— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) March 16, 2023
This statement from Smith is the latest regarding tickets for The Cure’s first North American tour in seven years. When the tour was announced, the band noted, “The Cure have agreed all ticket prices, and apart from a few Hollywood Bowl charity seats, there will be no ‘platinum’ or ‘dynamically priced’ tickets on this tour.”
Smith then said on Twitter, “We didn’t agree to the ‘dynamic pricing’/’price surging’/’platinum ticket’ thing…because it is itself a bit of a scam? A separate conversion!”
(WE DIDN’T AGREE TO THE ‘DYNAMIC PRICING’ / ‘PRICE SURGING’ / ‘PLATINUM TICKET’ THING… BECAUSE IT IS ITSELF A BIT OF A SCAM? A SEPARATE CONVERSATION!)
— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) March 15, 2023
He added, “We know it is a far from perfect system – but the reality is that if there aren’t enough tickets on sale, a number of fans are going to miss out whatever system we use; At least this one tries to get tickets into the hands of fans at a fair price. And/or we should play more/bigger shows? Ha!!! Onwards…”
WE KNOW IT IS A FAR FROM PERFECT SYSTEM – BUT THE REALITY IS THAT IF THERE AREN’T ENOUGH TICKETS ONSALE, A NUMBER OF FANS ARE GOING TO MISS OUT WHATEVER SYSTEM WE USE; AT LEAST THIS ONE TRIES TO GET TICKETS INTO THE HANDS OF FANS AT A FAIR PRICE…
— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) March 15, 2023
…AND/OR WE SHOULD PLAY MORE/BIGGER SHOWS? HA!!! ONWARDS…
— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) March 15, 2023
