This weekend, I booked a ticket for a performance at the Edinburgh Playhouse and the ticket cost was ÂŁ24, yet I was charged a booking and a transaction fee of ÂŁ7.90. What on earth that means I have no idea.
That is excessive and there is no justification for it. There needs to be a maximum fee set.
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Hide AdIn contrast, my local concert hall in Perth charges only a £1.50 booking fee, as does the cinema. ATG, the booking operator, has theatres all over the country – it stands for Ambassadors Theatre Group. I think with these prices, you need to be on an ambassador’s wage to afford a night out at one of its venues. In 2012, comedian Sarah Millican refused to perform at ATG venues because she disagreed with its excessive booking charges.
To add insult to injury, when booking, I put in my postcode and asked the system to search for my address. My property was build six years ago but was not listed. Perhaps ATG could use its profits to get its systems up to date.
GORDON KENNEDY
Simpson Square
Perth