Service charges on baseball tickets

[BiZmaRK]

What is it with these service charges that get added on to the price of a ticket? For example, a ticket might cost $35 at the ballpark, but if you buy it at the team's mall store (owned by the team), they add on a service charge of something like $7.50 for a total of $42.50.

From a marketing perspective, wouldn't it make more sense to have a face value of $42.50 and offer a $7.50 discount if you buy the ticket at the ballpark rather than a face value of $35.00 and tack on a $7.50 surcharge if you don't buy the ticket at the ballpark??

And why is it the price of the ticket is different if you buy it at the team's mall store than if you buy it at the ballpark?

[dgarza]

And why is it the price of the ticket is different if you buy it at the team's mall store than if you buy it at the ballpark?

I don't know all the ins and outs, but there are additional administrative, staffing, and third-party costs to offering more outlets to purchase. I don't know how much those actually add up to, but they certainly exist.

Also, there maybe laws that state you need to itemize services charges. I don't know, but perhaps???

But I understand what you're saying. The "cost of doing business" looks much nicer in some ways when it's all rolled up in the price.

[Gary Dunaier]

Don't forget the print at home scam... where they charge you a service fee to print out a ticket on your printer... using your paper... and your ink...

[RaysFan_98]

On the Stub hub site which i buy some of my tickets from they have a message on there that the MLB Imposed the extra 7.50 service charge.

[Cap78]

its even worse when its spring training as you are paying to see minor leaguers for half the game