Spotlight on ticketing charges

Mark-ups of between 4% and 27% on the face value of theatre tickets are charged by authorised sellers such as Seetickets and London Theatre Direct, according to a ‘snapshot’ report by consumer organisation Which? Comparing the cost of a pair of tickets for ‘Buddy’ at the Duchess Theatre among nine ticket agencies, Which? warned potential bookers that “you only find the total price of your order just before you enter your credit card details” due to booking fees and postal charges added by the intermediaries. Which? also found that many theatre box offices add booking, postal and credit card charges, and tickets at face value could only be purchased in person and in cash. The Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR) said that its Code “does not and cannot dictate the amount charged for booking fees by its members”, who “efficiently process bookings for hundreds of thousands of entertainment tickets every week”. STAR will be holding an open meeting on 19 June, to move towards “a new code of principles for the ticketing market that meets consumers’ needs”.