Ok Convenience Fees and Order Charges are not Taxes, but they feel like Taxes.
This is easily noticed when you pick up tix from your favorite team, the prices never seem to be what they was originally advertised. I did a little research to find out what these hidden fees amount to and how they can affect the consumer. Here is what I found.
| PHILLIES | Face | Final Cost | Hidden Fees | Hid Fee % | Conv Fee | Per Order Charge | Notes |
| SRO $17/Tix Single | $17.00 | $24.00 | $7.00 | 41% | $2.50 | $4.50 | 4/10 v Mets Cheapest |
| SRO $17/Tix x 2 | $34.00 | $43.50 | $9.50 | 28% | $5.00 | $4.50 | 4/10 v Mets |
| section 421 Row 2 - $30/tix | $60.00 | $72.50 | $12.50 | 21% | $8.00 | $4.50 | 4/10 v Mets Upper Plate |
| Sec 130 r 9 - $70/Tix x 2 | $140.00 | $154.50 | $14.50 | 10% | $10.00 | $4.50 | 4/10 v Mets Lower Plate |
| ORIOLES | Face | final | hidden | hid % | conv | order | notes |
| Sec 336 r 19 Up $9 Single | $9.00 | $14.75 | $5.75 | 64% | $1.75 | $4.00 | 4/16 v Rays Cheapest Tix |
| Sec 336 r 19 Up $9 2 tix | $18.00 | $25.50 | $7.50 | 42% | $3.50 | $4.00 | 4/16 v Rays Cheapest Tix |
| Sec 54 r 12 $60 | $120.00 | $139.50 | $19.50 | 16% | $15.50 | $4.00 | 4/16 v Rays Lower |
| NATIONALS | Face | final | hidden | hid % | conv | order | notes |
| Sec 403 r L single tix | $10.00 | $15.75 | $5.75 | 58% | $1.75 | $4.00 | 4.22 v Cardinals |
| Sec 404 r M x 2 tix | $20.00 | $27.50 | $7.50 | 38% | $3.50 | $4.00 | 4.22 v Cardinals |
| Sec 312 r G x 2tix | $48.00 | $60.50 | $12.50 | 26% | $8.50 | $4.00 | 4.22 v Cardinals |
| Sec 116 r C x 2tix | $130.00 | $151.50 | $21.50 | 17% | $17.50 | $4.00 | 4.22 v Cardinals |
| BRAVES | Face | final | hidden | hid % | conv | order | notes |
| SRO single | $6.00 | $9.60 | $3.60 | 60% | $1.50 | $2.10 | 4/16 v Royals |
| SRO two tix | $12.00 | $17.10 | $5.10 | 43% | $3.00 | $2.10 | 4/16 v Royals |
| sec 402 r 16 x2 | $24.00 | $30.60 | $6.60 | 28% | $4.50 | $2.10 | 4/16 v Royals |
| sec 104R r19 | $136.00 | $151.60 | $15.60 | 11% | $13.50 | $2.10 | 4/16 v Royals |
| METS | Face | final | hidden | hid % | conv | order | notes |
| Sec 534 r 3 x2 | $13.00 | $20.75 | $7.75 | 60% | $1.75 | $6.00 | 4/23 v Dodgers |
| Sec 534 r 3 x2 | $26.00 | $35.50 | $9.50 | 37% | $3.50 | $6.00 | 4/23 v Dodgers |
| sec 114 r9 x 2 | $170.00 | $194.50 | $24.50 | 14% | $18.50 | $6.00 | 4/23 v Dodgers |
| YANKEES | Face | final | hidden | hid % | conv | order | notes |
| Sec 420B r11 single $6 | $6.00 | $9.30 | $3.30 | 55% | $0.00 | $3.30 | Special $5 for MasterCard Tickest for selected Tues |
| Sec 425 r8 two tix $6 | $12.00 | $15.30 | $3.30 | 28% | $0.00 | $3.30 | $5 Master card offer as above |
| Sec 225 r3 two tix 155.00 | $310.00 | $328.10 | $18.10 | 6% | $18.10 | $0.00 | 4/15 v Diamondbacks |
| sec 20 r 7 two tix 700 | $1,400.00 | $1,439.40 | $39.40 | 3% | $39.40 | $0.00 | 4/15 v Diamondbacks |
| Wilmington Blue Rocks | Face | final | hidden | hid % | conv | order | notes |
| Reserved Seat single | $9.00 | $10.50 | $1.50 | 17% | $1.50 | 4/15 v Carolina | |
| Reserved Seat X2 | $18.00 | $21.00 | $3.00 | 17% | $3.00 | ||
| Reading Phillies | Face | final | hidden | hid % | conv | order | notes |
| Boxed Seat | $11.00 | $14.00 | $3.00 | 27% | 1 | $2.00 | 4/15 v Harrisburg |
| Boxed Seat x2 | $22.00 | $26.00 | $4.00 | 18% | 2 | $2.00 |
I took a look at The Phillies and their brethren NL East as well as Yankees and Orioles largely because they are within reasonable commuting distance. I also included some local minor league teams.
For each team I looked into the cheapest ticket, an Upper level behind the plate ticket and a pricy lower level ticket. All games are for weeknights - generally the teams next home game on a school night.
I don't think anything here will shock fans. The ticket fees are generally the same regardless of the base cost of the ticket. If there is one thing that is surprising it is how much extra one pays on a convenience fees for a "budget:" ticket vs swanky seats behind the dugouts.
The Phillies have $7 in ticket fees on a $17 SRO tix. That bumps up the cost of the original ticket by 41% to a cost of $24. If you have the funds to purchase two tix in the lower level your fees on a pair of $70 tix are $14.50. The hidden fee pct is only 10%. So yes in this case the 1% due fair better than us schlubs that are just happy to get into a game.
The Orioles had the most egregious markup - there $9 upper level tickets actually cost close to $15 on line. The hidden fees amount to 64% of the original price.
Just for fun I looked into some Yankees Legends seats. The ticket fees themselves were $39.40!!!!
Of course those cost $1400 for a pair, therefore the ticket fees are only 3%.
There are some other ticket fees that varied on how you wanted the tix delivered. The Braves were the first team that had an upcharge for Will-Call tix. The Yankees had several different ticket delivery options and prices. It is interesting to note that the Yankees offer a $6 ticket on Tuesday Nights if your a Mastercard holder.
I should also note that these ticket fees can likely be saved by purchasing tickets at the stadium, although this may not be possible day of the game if there is the prospect of a sellout.
I honestly don't mind the hidden fees, but I wish the teams would be more up front about the fees. Rather than nickel and diming a fan like an airline I would prefer they just tell me the tix price up front. Stubhub has moved to this format - right away you know what your spending as opposed to navigating through several screens to find out your $15 tix is really going to be $25.
I like your post. It furthers my desire to not purchase tickets on-line anymore. Walk-up on game day is the way to go OR hit up a scalper right around game time.
ReplyDeleteI agree - Walk Up isn't always possible for Phillies game. In the past the team hasn't been very transparent about giving out tix availability info. I think during 2013 weekday games will be pretty ez to get into at least until school gets out.
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