'Give venues some of the power' - Is Ticketmaster the fairest system?

An industry insider has suggested that individuals should have the option to purchase tickets for concerts directly from the venue instead of depending on Ticketmaster.

There is a lot of interest in getting Oasis tickets for the concert at Croke Park, as they will be available for purchase starting at 8am tomorrow.

Tickets for the two concerts happening next summer will go on sale one hour prior to the tickets for their shows in the UK.

Rebecca Cappuccini, who speaks on behalf of the Music and Entertainment Association of Ireland (MEAI), explained during an interview on Lunchtime Live that Ticketmaster's exclusive control over ticket sales is not beneficial for consumers.

"I have a traditional approach to things, so I have always believed that going to a physical location to reserve tickets and having a system that involves interacting with other people is the most desirable option," she expressed.

"The system should work smoothly without any problems, there shouldn't be long lines - it's about ensuring the right individuals reach their destination at the correct moment."

When we depend so much on technology for tasks like this, it creates issues and there are limited solutions.

A individual is selling tickets for a sporting event on March 11, 2018. Photo courtesy of Ceri Breeze / Alamy.

Ms Cappuccini mentioned that diversifying ticket sales beyond Ticketmaster would result in fewer technical issues.

She mentioned that it would be more just if it wasn't controlled by just one company.

There would be fewer issues with technology malfunctioning because each person would have their own server.

"If you only depend on one company to handle all aspects of ticket distribution, it can create a bottleneck in the system."

Ms. Cappuccini mentioned that the VAT on tickets also plays a role.

"Customers are fully charged 13.5% for that," she explained.

MEAI met with the Minister of Finance last week to negotiate lowering the rate to 9% in order to help both customers and musicians.

During the live show at lunchtime, caller Robin expressed her opinion that establishments should offer annual memberships instead of regular sales.

"If you look at the Olympia in Dublin as an example, you could purchase an annual membership that includes one concert per month, depending on your budget," she explained.

There is an airline that recently introduced a program where you can purchase a membership for a year of unlimited flights.

"A yearly subscription to concerts would allow music enthusiasts to attend shows without worrying or feeling overwhelmed."

Robin stated that it is not fair for one company to hold all the power.

Purchasing a yearly pass for Croke Park concerts may end up costing you more in the long run, but it's really about breaking up the monopoly.

"If we allow the venue to have some control over selling their own tickets, it would improve the process."

Whelan's offers tickets for sale directly to customers, and I am constantly on the lookout for opportunities to purchase them.

Using Ticketmaster all the time can be frustrating because they don't always do their job well. It's just more satisfying to find alternative options.

Elaine Burke, the host of the For Techs Sake podcast, mentioned on the show that Ticketmaster struggles with handling high demand.

She mentioned that she really liked the option of purchasing tickets directly from the venue.

I think Ticketmaster is difficult to use and can be frustrating, especially when dealing with popular events like the upcoming Oasis concert.

"Also, don't forget about the presale ticket lottery that's happening."

"It's really confusing and very complex... and people don't even know the exact time they will receive the link to access the pre-sale."

I believe the reason for approaching it in this manner was to filter out individuals who are not truly dedicated to the fanbase.

The issue is that it won't eliminate the scammers who are determined to obtain these tickets.

Ms. Burke expressed her belief that tomorrow will not go smoothly for Ticketmaster.

It's likely that things will not go as planned, Ticketmaster has a history of experiencing these issues before.

The additional charges we pay along with our tickets may seem like they would be used to improve infrastructure, but it appears that Ticketmaster's main focus is on creating obstacles for customers trying to resell their tickets.

At the beginning of the year, the US Justice Department announced that they were taking legal action against Ticketmaster for monopolizing the market and engaging in illegal activities that hinder competition.