The Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger is less than a month old and the newly combined company is already raising ticket prices.

Ticketsnow, the secondary ticket market subsidiary of Ticketmaster, announced today that they will be increasing service charges on buyers to an astounding 18.5% post transaction!

As a point of reference, the average price of a ticket sold on Stubhub in 2008 was $133. Assuming prices increased about 5-10% over the past two years we can say that the current average ticket price on Ticketsnow is about $150. And since most people buy a pair of tickets, a transaction on Ticketsnow could run you about $300. Tack on that 18.5% service fee and that’s an extra $55! At SaveFans! we only charge $5. Do Ticketmaster and Live Nation really need this additional $50? I thought this newly merged company was supposed to LOWER the cost of tickets???

We have been reporting on a variety of Ticketmaster – TicketsNow complaints:

- Ticketmaster and TicketsNow have been using websites masquerading as affiliates of venues, promoters, teams, and artists to trick the public into paying OVER face value for tickets thinking they were getting them FOR face value direct from the source. Full Story»

- During an on sale for Bruce Springsteen tickets last year Ticketmaster claimed they had a site malfunction and redirected buyers to Ticketsnow where tickets were offered for prices higher than face value. Curiously Ticketmaster was informing these buyers that the show was sold out when it was not. Full Story»

A few weeks back we told fans about TicketDisaster.org, a website urging ticket buying consumers to sign a petition blocking the proposed Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger. Well it seems like TicketDisaster is not the only organization opposed to the deal which will in effect give one company control over all aspects of the live events industry.

And guess how Ticketmaster and Live Nation deal with opposition??? Pay them off!

TM-LN are so desperate to push their merger through congress that Live Nation has reportedly offered to sell some of their venues for BELOW MARKET VALUE to Anschultz Entertainment Group (AEG). This is in response to AEG CEO and president Tim Leiweke calling the merger “troubling” and “not good for the industry.”

As a condition of selling these marked down venues Ticketmaster and Live Nation are asking AEG to drop their opposition to the merger. Isn’t this called corporate bribery?

As if this story isn’t troubling enough here are some other things you should know about Ticketmaster business practices that could only get worse if the merger goes through:

- Ticketmaster and TicketsNow have been using websites masquerading as affiliates of venues, promoters, teams, and artists to trick the public into paying OVER face value for tickets thinking they were getting them FOR face value direct from the source. Full Story»

- Ticketmaster secretly sells tickets on behalf of artists for over face value through their “official platinum seats” program on Ticketexchange. Full Story» (plus screen shot proof)

- Ticketmaster secretly offered over $1.5 million worth of Britney Spears tickets on Ticketmaster.com and Ticketmaster.ca through this Ticketexchange program. The price Ticketmaster listed for her show in Las Vegas was as high as $2,698.44 per ticket!!!!!! Full Story» (plus screen shot proof)

- During an on sale for Bruce Springsteen tickets last year Ticketmaster claimed they had a site malfunction and redirected buyers to Ticketsnow where tickets were offered for prices higher than face value. Curiously Ticketmaster was informing these buyers that the show was sold out when it was not. Full Story»

One can only imagine what post-merger Ticketmaster, Live Nation, and TicketsNow is capable of…

It is our job here at SaveFans! to educate you, the fans, to what is going on in the world of tickets. There is currently no bigger story that directly affects how you have access to future live events than the proposed merger between ticketing giants, Ticketmaster and Live Nation. The possible creation of a new TM LN monopoly could severely restrict your consumer rights, raise ticket prices, squelch innovation and competition, and result in a poor buying experience and lackluster customer service.

In the wake of the merger’s review by Congress a new website has launched, TicketDisaster.org, created by the NATB (National Association of Ticket Brokers) and the National Consumer League. The site implores fans to call on the Department of Justice to stop the Ticketmaster / LiveNation merger.

We at SaveFans! strongly suggest taking the time to visit TicketDisaster.org and keeping up to date on this monumental decision for the live events industry. It is time for fans to stand up and have a say against corporate giants like Ticketmaster and Live Nation!

Here are some important facts from TicketDisaster.org on how the merger could impact you:

THE POWER TO NEGOTIATE! Where else can YOU negotiate the price you pay for your favorite sports, concert, and theater tickets online???

SaveFans! is the best source on the internet to purchase cheap tickets, discount tickets, or premium tickets period. Our low service charges and last minute services make it easy to buy and sell tickets to any event.

Engaging YOU THE FANS is priority #1 at SaveFans! We want to make your ticket purchase not only easy but fun. Bookmark our blog for humorous videos, relevant ticket news, and up to the minute schedules and tour dates for your favorite teams and artists.

At SaveFans.com we are saving fans one ticket at a time!

Las Vegas baby! SaveFans! CEO Wes Brodsky, CTO Joel Brass, and Sr. Developer Shen Deshayne will be among the 500 attendees at the Ticket Summit conference and trade show this week. This annual event will bring together the secondary ticketing industry’s elite to discuss topics that effect you, the ticket buying public. Among those in attendance (other than SaveFans!) will be representatives from Stubhub, the New Jersey Nets, Ticketmaster, Sony BMG, New York Daily News, the NBA, the NFL, the NHL, NBC Universal, Live Nation, Reuters, The Cincinnati Reds, Nokia, and many others. To learn more please check out the Ticket Summit Official Website.

Hey Party People,

SaveFans! is a Pay What You Want ticket site.  We want to save you money and get you to the best events – period.   Think of us when you want a cheap and convenient ticket discovery solution.

This company was founded by a few friends living and working in the Los Angeles area.  We hate Ticketmaster, Live Nation and the rest of the ticketing sites that charge high prices and have hidden fees.  At SaveFans! we promise to be upfront and we are going to let YOU pay what you want!

The purpose of this blog is to entertain you – we will keep the corporate stuff to a minimum.

We are going to be discussing live events, music, sports, theater, and the trends that impact you.  We will keep this bad boy light and fun and will post links to events you may like.

Enjoy!