I hate Ticketmaster.  It doesn't have anything to do specifically with the company, it's do to what the music industry and law allow it to get away with, which is quite a bit.   The way things are starting to look, it's only going to get worse.

     A local radio station holds concerts every summer and sells tickets through either Brown Paper Tickets or eTix,  instead of Ticketmaster.  I was shocked at the difference in fees, especially for Brown Paper Tickets.  If I remember correctly, my fee was less that $2 per ticket.  Now, let's contrast that with Ticketmaster who charges at least a $10 or $15 fee per ticket for an average concert, along with a processing fee on top of that.  Why is there such a discrepancy?  Since venues only deal with one agency, you are basically locked into a monopoly situation.

     This is bad, but what really angers me are the auctions.  Ticketmaster recently began holding tickets back  and auctioning them off to the highest bidder, or just holding them back for a higher asking price.  This is legal, yet selling a ticket you bought for a small profit is considered scalping and is illegal.  Where is the sense in this?

     Ticketmaster is legal and maximizing their profits, which they have every right to do.  What angers me is that club owners and musicians allow their fans to be gouged when there are better options available.  I'm sure there must be financial incentives for the owners and musicians, but when is enough enough?  To make matters worse, Ticketmaster has announced a merger with Live Nation, the largest concert promoter in the United States.   This is great for Ticketmaster, but it will be terrible for music fans.