Concertgoers hate fees, though they usually stomach the extras to see their favorite acts.
Still, some tricky surcharging is causing a stir in New Jersey, specifically at Live Nation-operated PNC Bank Arts Center. A $6 parking fee – assessed per attendee, not vehicle – was recently unearthed by the New York Daily News in a fuming article.
The charge means that a carpooling group of four would pay $24, and those arriving by shuttle bus would also pay. Live Nation noted that the fee is essentially a repurposed “facility fee,” and pointed to an efficient way to charge without disrupting traffic. Either way, the flare-up exposes customer sensitivities towards fees, rational or otherwise. Just recently, incoming Ticketmaster Entertainment CEO Irving Azoff started pushing for fee-free tickets, specifically on the most recent Eagles tour. That could become the norm if Live Nation eventually merges with Ticketmaster, a deal that remains under review by regulators.
Story by news analyst Alexandra Osorio.