Ticket vendors put ‘outrageous’ service charges on Madonna gig

TICKETMASTER stand to make up to half a million euro in service charges alone from ticket sales to Madonna’s concert in Slane Castle in August.

In addition to an undisclosed booking fee as part of the €88.50 ticket price, fans eager to secure tickets for the Queen of Pop forked out an additional €5.95 in 'service charges' if booking by phone or internet.

Ticketmaster will secure up to €476,000 in service charges alone, should all 80,000 tickets be sold.

Only 24 hours after sales began, 56,000 (70%) tickets had sold, the majority by phone or online.

Including the additional charges, fans paid an excessive €94.45 per ticket, while those buying the maximum of six paid €531 for the tickets and an extra €35.70 in service charges.

Concertgoers planning a trip to one of the many summer gigs will also pay the €5.95 service charge for online or phone bookings.

One fan who bought five tickets said it was the last time he would do so.

"If I'd known before I wouldn't have bothered," Barrie Jones from Rush, Co Dublin said.

"I had to pay €30 for someone to take a phone call, it should be: the more you buy, the more you save," he added.

A spokesman for Ticketmaster said service charges had not been increased for the Madonna concert. He explained the service charge of €5.95 for Slane was less than the advertised maximum figure of 12%.

The fee, he said, covered credit card bookings over the telephone or internet and included processing charges, credit card charge and postage to the customer's home.

He also pointed out that ticket prices were cheaper in Ireland than Britain or the US for Madonna shows while service charges for Slane were also lower.

Michael Kilcoyne, of the Consumer Association described the charges as "outrageous" and called for them to be outlawed.

"It's about time the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs investigated this, took action and outlawed it," he said.

Justin Green of promoters MCD confirmed the €88.50 price included Ticketmaster's "core booking fee" but said the additional service charge was a matter for Ticketmaster.

Concert costs:

Madonna, Slane Castle, August 29: €88.50 + €5.95 service charge = €94.45

Oxegen, Two-day ticket July 10/11 including camping: €130 + €5.95 = €135.95

Bob Dylan ,Galway, June 27: €65.00 + €5.95 = €70.95

The Corrs, The Point, June 28 + 29: €49.50 + €5.95 = €55.45

Jose Carreras Killarney, July 3: €105 + €5.95 = €110.95

More than 8,000 customers have already signed up to an online petition at www.ticeidi.com calling for the abolition of excessive handling charges.