As if the reign of Ticketmaster didn't already suck badly enough, now you can get overcharged in a new convenient neighborhood location. You know, because buying tickets from your home computer wasn't convenient enough.
That's right, Walmart and Ticketmaster are teaming up to bring you more locations where you can pay more than you should for your tickets to concerts, theater shows, sports games, and other events.
"By integrating ticketing into Walmart stores, we are able to offer fans this very convenient way to learn about upcoming events, purchase and take home tickets without leaving their neighborhood," Ticketmaster CEO Nathan Hubbard said in a recent statement. "In addition, Ticketmaster will continue to work closely with our clients to create exclusive high value offers for Walmart customers."
Excuse me, Nathan, shouldn't Ticketmaster be creating exclusive high value offers for all of their customers, not just those who shop at Walmart? High value is what Ticketmaster customers really want; not to mention lower prices and fewer unexplainable fees, but that's another story.
The ticketing kiosks that will be integrated into Walmart's stores are pretty much self-serve stations, except for the part where a Walmart employee still has to complete the transaction for you.
What's the point of buying your tickets other than on your own computer if someone else has to help you do it? Why make the ticket purchasing process more complicated? Sealing the deal on your tickets will also take more time if you need someone to help you do it. Sure, it's nice to be able to browse upcoming events while you're in the store and you're taking a break from shopping, but this whole process would be more efficient if it were left to be done in the comfort of one's own home. Essentially, the only people this service would benefit are those who don't own a computer or don't have an internet connection at home.
Is Ticketmaster's expansion into Walmart's turf a pro or a con? Let us know what you think in our comments section.
