Robert Smith asks Ticketmaster to explain “over priced” face value tickets in fan exchange area

Robert Smith has asked Ticketmaster to explain why tickets in its promised face value ticket exchange are “weird” and “over priced”.

• READ MORE: The Cure live in London: an unusual, but thrilling festive party

The Cure singer and guitarist has taken the ticketing platform to task in recent weeks over its “unduly high” service fees for tickets to his band’s upcoming North American tour. Some fans claimed that Ticketmaster fees, including service fee, facility charge and order processing fee, exceeded the price of the actual tickets.

Earlier this month Smith said that he was “sickened” by high Ticketmaster fees after the platform had vowed to the band to keep prices affordable for their fans.

Now, some fans have claimed that tickets marked as face value are selling beyond the price of a standard ticket, and Smith has responded to what’s been alleged. “I AM ASKING ABOUT THE WEIRD OVER PRICED ‘FACE VALUE’ TICKETS THAT ARE POPPING UP HERE AND THERE… X,” he tweeted on Tuesday (March 28).

I AM ASKING ABOUT THE WEIRD OVER PRICED ‘FACE VALUE’ TICKETS THAT ARE POPPING UP HERE AND THERE… X

— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) March 29, 2023

As Billboard highlights, one fan commented on Smith’s tweet with a screenshot of two face value tickets that cost nearly $1,400 (£1,133). “That’s nuts,” someone else replied to the fan. “I gave almost the same seat for Toronto and paid $160. In USD, that’s around $115!!!”

That’s nuts. I gave almost the same seat for Toronto and paid $160. In USD, that’s around $115!!!

— mejane (@mejanetoo) March 29, 2023

On Ticketmaster’s website the face value ticket exchange is defined as “an artist-driven marketplace where fans can sell their tickets to other fans at face value”. In an FAQ area, the platform writes, “List prices are limited to the face value prices originally set by the artist(s),” and that there are “no additional fees charged to Exchange users for buying or selling tickets”.

Earlier this month Smith persuaded Ticketmaster to issue small refunds to verified ticket buyers over the “unduly high” service fees.

He wrote on Twitter on March 16 following the launch of The Cure’s US tour tickets: “After further conversation, Ticketmaster have agreed with us that many of the fees being charged are unduly high, and as a gesture of goodwill have offered a $10 per ticket refund to all verified fan accounts for Lowest Ticket Price (‘LTP’) transactions.”

In related news, Neil Young has now weighed in on the current state of touring following Ticketmaster’s controversy with The Cure.

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