Feds subpoena Ticketmaster over egregious concert ticket prices — A spokesperson for Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, said the firm doesn't “feel comfortable” sharing information with Congress

This is how you know deregulation doesn't work.

I don't feel comfortable with them essentially operating a monopoly that both consumers and artists detest. I don't feel comfortable with paying exorbitant meaningless fees if I ever want to experience a live event. It's never mattered what I'm comfortable with, I've always gotten fucked. I don't care how uncomfortable they are, I hope they get absolutely destroyed by legal fees and go bankrupt.

Ticketmaster/Live Nation is one of the most blatant monopolies in all of history. They should be torn to shreds.

Is it the kind of discomfort one feels when they need to use a bathroom but there is only one for a 10,000 person event? Or the kind of discomfort one feels when it's a record heat wave but a bottle of water is $20 and despite advertising free water stations, there are none? Oh or maybe the discomfort in paying mystery fees that equal the price of the ticket?

Or maybe the kind of discomfort that only an illegitimate business model about to be exposed would evoke?

I don't feel comfortable with their prices.

See what happens when you don't jail cunts that ignore congressional subpoenas?!?

When your kids say "don't look in my pockets!" they definitely have something there you need to see.

In the early 2000s Ticketmaster began to really take off. The fees and extras really started to bother me. So I stopped going to any events that used them. Other than a few state/county fair events I haven't been to a concert since 2001. Because of Ticketmaster. I have no regrets either.

Release the dogs on them. Live Nation has done nothing but rip off concert goers and harm small bands with their ridiculous fees and contractual venue restrictions, and this is without even touching on the horrible ticket scalping issues that they refuse to do anything about.

If I'm also recalling correctly, if a venue is signed up to Ticketmaster they cannot independently host events - everything has to be done through Ticketmaster 🤦‍♂️

"Oh, really? Well, we don't feel comfortable continuing your license to practice business in the United States!"

Ticketmaster is a mafia. They pressure venues to take unfavorable deals or exclude them for tours completely, if they don't pay extra. That should be enough for some nice charges. They are not above the law and their prices really are criminal.

“After facing criticism from both fans and politicians for its failed handling of Taylor Swift ticket sales, Live Nation Entertainment announced a "Fair Ticketing Act" proposal in February that would try to combat bots and ticket scalpers in the resale market. Nothing yet appears to have come from this proposal.”

No shit. What incentive do they actually have to make changes when the current system makes them more money?

Too fucking bad, I don't feel comfortable with you existing.

It’s a subpoena. Comfortable doesn’t even begin to come into play.

Another obvious monopoly we refuse to break up.

These goddamn capitalists pigs are out of control

I don't "feel comfortable" paying extortion prices, either.

Who cares if you feel comfortable? Did you ask me if people are comfortable paying high prices for tickets? You took all this money, and you keep doing it! You are a thief, my dude; you make people pay more than what they are supposed to pay. People are stupid too, instead of stop buying tickets, and report ticketmaster and live nation, they are keeping buying tickets! bravoooooo!!!

"Why don't you feel comfortable about sharing?"

"Before I tell you, you have to promise not to indict me."

"..."

"Promise?"

"... okay. We promise not to indict you."

"Okay, the thing is, I may have conspired with competitors to corner the market on ticket sales and bought up 85% of performance venues to lock in performers into using me to distribute tickets. Thus giving me near total control of the market."

"Yeah, that's a monopoly. We're breaking you up."

"YOU PROMISED NOT TO!"

"No, we promised not to indict you. Commerce doesn't need an indictment to pull your articles of corporation."

"Durnit!"

If this doesn't end with Ticketmaster getting broken up it will be an egregious miscarriage of justice.

Go. Fuck. Yourselves.

With a 10 inch dildo.

I hope their fucking shareholders do time.

Thankfully, subpoenas don’t care about how comfortable you are.

A local, small time hockey team has middle-arena ticket for $13. The price almost doubles because they use tm. $10 in cOnVeNiEnCe fees and processing and the "privilege" of using their shitty app.

Oh no, they're uncomfortable?

All the more reason for them to comply, really

Well that only took forty years. They’ve been doing this since the 80s.

Nice! Let’s do insurance next!

Why aren’t you comfortable sharing information with congress?

$30? That'll be $180, please. -TicketMaster

if congress wanted your testimony do you think that your comfort would be a factor in what they do and how they do it? The law is different for the very rich. It's aspirational rather than authoritative. "We would really like to comply, but I just don't think it's gonna work out."

To be fair, I don't feel comfortable sharing information with anyone, let alone fucking congress. So I can kinda see their point.

On the other hand, I also don't feel comfortable with the spokesperson not getting raped with a rake. What now, spokesperson? How shall we solve this little dilemma?

Local mom has one weird trick to tell Congress to pound sand, Congressman hate her for it!

Is it unreasonable to pray this is the thing that gets young voters to actually vote?

D'aww the poor dears. Wouldn't wanna make them uncomfortable

pinches cheek

Here in Germany there are some venues that sell their tickets through dice.fm which seems not to charge extreme fees. Is this something that’s also available where you folks are?