Ticketmaster Is Now In The Ticket Scalping Business

The Federal Government needs to break up the Ticketmaster monopoly. If you must buy your tickets from Ticketmaster use the charge by phone service or visit one of their outlets. If you try to buy tickets online you will be ripped off. Ticketmaster now operates TicketsNow.com; they call it a sister company. They say this a secondary ticket market seller that allows them to sell ticket at market value; sometimes prices are 10 times more than the face value plus all their usual add on fees. When you log on to the Ticketmaster website they redirect you to TicketsNow.com. Sounds like ticket scalping to me; maybe the laws have changed, but I thought ticket scalping was still illegal in NY state.

The following information was taken from the Wikipedia website:
Ticketmaster is a ticket sales and distribution company based in West Hollywood, California, USA, with operations in many countries around the world. Typically, Ticketmaster's clients (arenas, stadiums, and theatres) control their events, and Ticketmaster simply acts as an agent, selling the tickets that the clients make available to them.

Ticketmaster sells a large percentage of its tickets online, some via phone, and a percentage through its many ticket outlets.

Ticketmaster collects no part of advertised ticket prices, in lieu it adds services fees to recoup its costs. Consumers often find these markups unreasonably excessive, especially because there are many instances where no alternative purchase method is offered (allowing the purchase of tickets without incurring fees). This business practice, along with a dearth of competitors, has led many to view Ticketmaster as monopolistic. Alternative ticketing companies have emerged but due to Ticketmaster's exclusive agreements with a large percentage of venues the competition has not lowered service fees. Not all events generate the same consternation. Many ticket buyers have the option of purchasing tickets directly from venue box offices, thereby avoiding service fees from any ticketing agent though many box offices will also charge a service fee, particularly if the venue is owned by a ticket agency. The typical fees in addition to a ticket's face value include:
Ticketmaster Service Charge
This is Ticketmaster's charge for the general service they provide and maintain. You will pay this charge no matter which way you buy the tickets through Ticketmaster (Phone, online or in person at a ticket center), although the amount of the charge may be different for different channels and different payment methods.
Building Facility Charge
This is determined by the venue, and not Ticketmaster.
Processing Charge
This is Ticketmaster's charge for processing your order and making the tickets available to you (mail, etc.) This is usually not a per ticket charge, but rather a per order charge.
Shipping, E-Ticket Convenience, or Will Call Charge
Ticketmaster charges a fee for ticket delivery, even if the ticket is in the form of an automatically generated virtual "e-ticket", which buyers must then print out themselves, at their own expense (at a lower cost to Ticketmaster than any other medium). Buyers may also be charged an extra fee to collect the ticket(s) from the venue. E-ticket convenience charges have been known to be issued even when purchasing a ticket directly from Ticketmaster box offices.

While 35% is typical, it can be considerably more. Take for example, a $25.00 ticket to see Symphony X at the Pearl Room, just outside Chicago, has a $7.25 service charge, no option for will call or printable ticket, and $14.50 as the least expensive method of delivery. With the final processing charge of $2.40, this makes the total $49.15. With not even a "building facility charge" at the Pearl Room, this is a 97% increase in the cost of the ticket.
These price increases are predictable, considering that Ticketmaster is often the sole vendor of tickets (many venues do not even offer ticket sales for their own events).

Another charging practice is Parking Fees and excessive shipping. Although Ticketmaster reports this as being charged by the vendor, this is rarely the case. One example of this being a $25.00 ticket to a 2007 Dream Theater concert at the Fillmore in Detroit, MI including an $8.60 service charge, a $9.65 shipping fee (the ticket coming in an envelope with a 23.5 cent bulk stamp), and a $5 parking fee at a venue that doesn't have parking.

For more information click on the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticketmaster

Reunion of Employess of the Kings Park Psychiatric Center

Calling All Former Employees Of Kings Park Psychiatric Center
Reunion To be held at the Smithtown Landing Country Club
Date June 19, 2009, Time 7 to 11pm
$60.00 pp, Price includes hors d’oeuvres, complete dinner, dessert & coffee
Live Band & DJ
For information contact Myra Fontana at 631-663-3099 or 631-291-5353
or e-mail Castlerea62@optonline.net.
Prepaid ticket only. Payment must be received by May 1, 2009.
Checks made payable to: Myra Fontana
57 Marvin Drive, Kings Park, NY 11754
ADMISSION WITH TICKET ONLY

Kings Park Graduate Mark Falanga Writes Book

Just finished reading a book titled "The Suburban You"; this book was written by an old friend and Kings Park High School alumni from the class of 1976 Mark Falanga. Mark now lives in a Chicago Suburb and wrote this book about many funny stories about family life in the suburbs.

Tips for a Better Life

Tips for a better life
25 photos
By Nithya Shanti
Tips for Better Life
1. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Sleep for 7 hours.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Play more games.
6. Read more books than you did the previous year.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink plenty of water.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
14. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
15. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
16. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
17. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
18. Smile and laugh more.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don't compare your partner with others.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Forgive everyone for everything.
26. What other people think of you is none of your business.
27. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
28. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
29. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
30. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
31. The best is yet to come.
32. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
33. Do the right thing!
34. Call your family often.
35. Your inner most is always happy. So be happy.
36. Each day give something good to others.
37. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
38. Share this with someone you care about (Click the "Share" link below)

For more on wonderful happiness ideas, please join the group "The Happiest Day of Your Life"http://groups.to/happiness

Suze Orman Said Credit Card Companies Are Being Stupid By Not Negotiating

I was watching the Suze Orman Show from Sat Jan 3rd. She commented that the credit card companies are being stupid by not negotiating with people who are behind on their payments. She said by not negotiating and raising interest rates to 29 to 32% and insisting they pay off the debt within 5 years is going to force people to file bankruptcy and you will start to see many credit card companies fail like the mortgage banks did in 2008.

Avoid Foreclosure

Do you know how much your home is worth in today’s market? Are you thinking of selling? Are you is in danger of loosing your home to foreclosure? Don is a Certified Distressed Property Expert & Real Estate Short Sale Professional. Call today for a complimentary, no obligation, custom market analysis and consultation to discuss your options!

The market is changing and so are we. When you need a professional real estate company, you can rely on the number 1 office in Kings Park for results! We will provide you with old fashioned service with today’s technology.



Don Stirnweis, CDPE, E-Pro, GRI, RSSP, SRES
Licensed Sales Person & NYS Certified Appraiser
Cell Phone 631-697-1122 Don@DonStirnweis.com

Lisa Carbone, CBR
Licensed Sales Person, Certified Buyer Representative
Cell Phone 631-235-8564 LisaCarbone@McKnightRealtors.com