Ticket fee scandal

Something urgently needs to be done to tackle the greed and profiteering that is going on when booking theatre tickets over the internet.

This weekend, I booked a ticket for a performance at the Edinburgh Playhouse and the ticket cost was £24, yet I was charged a booking and a transaction fee of £7.90. 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.

In 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