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The Cures Frontman Robert Smith said he was “fed up” with Ticketmaster fees. The platform has since refunded some of the fees, but now so does the scalper, and instead of tickets he sells his entire Ticketmaster account. Is there still hope for concertgoers? — Anna
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If you’re craving a Ticketmaster alternative, you’re not alone. Whether you’re a fan of Taylor Swift, The Cure, or Bad Bunny, you have plenty of reasons to resent the self-proclaimed “world’s leading live entertainment ticketing platform.”
Is all hate justified? maybe not. Rather, platforms may be shouldering more than their share of responsibility. His former CEO, Fred Rosen, who ran the company from 1982 until 1998, he told CBC Radio in January: “Demand determines the price.”
Regulators in many countries have voiced their objections. Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate questioned Live Nation, which acquired his Ticketmaster in 2010, over concerns the company was a monopoly.
