The Cure's Robert Smith Successfully Convinces Ticketmaster to Partially Refund 'Unduly High' Fees
Jim Dyson/Getty Robert Smith
Ticketmaster has been under fire lately for website issues, monopoly accusations and unnecessary fees — and The Cure is one of the latest acts to be affected.
After the British rock band's fans were met with high fees on low-priced tickets for a newly announced North American tour, lead vocalist Robert Smith asked Ticketmaster to refund the extra charges — and succeeded.
Smith, 63, announced the tour earlier this month and noted that he opted to sell tickets through Ticketmaster's Verified Fan program to avoid scalpers. He also said the band wouldn't be using the service's "platinum ticket" or "dynamic pricing" options, telling his Twitter followers they're "a bit of a scam."
However, when fans went to purchase tickets for the tour, some were met with fees higher than the ticket prices themselves. Purchasers took to social media to express disappointment, with some posting screenshots claiming $20 tickets ended up costing around $43 after fees — more than double the original price.
So @thecure and @RobertSmith wanted to keep ticket prices at a reasonable level for fans on their upcoming North American tour dates. Of course @Ticketmaster absolutely rinsed them with ridiculous extra charges
wtf even is a service fee or a facility charge or processing fee?? pic.twitter.com/jsgspXnifj— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) March 16, 2023
Smith soon responded passionately, expressing his outrage at the situation on Twitter.
"I AM AS SICKENED AS YOU ALL ARE BY TODAY'S TICKETMASTER 'FEES' DEBACLE. TO BE VERY CLEAR: THE ARTIST HAS NO WAY TO LIMIT THEM. I HAVE BEEN ASKING HOW THEY ARE JUSTIFIED," wrote the "Lullaby" performer on March 15. "IF I GET ANYTHING COHERENT BY WAY OF AN ANSWER I WILL LET YOU ALL KNOW."
The following day, Smith revealed he'd spoken with Ticketmaster representatives regarding the fees, and the service agreed to give partial refunds to fans.
"AFTER FURTHER CONVERSATION, TICKETMASTER HAVE AGREED WITH US THAT MANY OF THE FEES BEING CHARGED ARE UNDULY HIGH, AND AS A GESTURE OF GOODWILL HAVE OFFERED A $10 PER TICKET REFUND TO ALL VERIFIED FAN ACCOUNTS FOR LOWEST TICKET PRICE ('LTP') TRANSACTIONS," began a thread of tweets from the singer.
ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Robert Smith
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He continued, "A $5 PER TICKET REFUND TO ALL VERIFIED FAN ACCOUNTS FOR ALL OTHER TICKET PRICE TRANSACTIONS, FOR ALL CURE SHOWS AT ALL VENUES; IF YOU ALREADY BOUGHT A TICKET YOU WILL GET AN AUTOMATIC REFUND; ALL TICKETS ON SALE TOMORROW WILL INCUR LOWER FEES."
Reps for Ticketmaster did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
The Cure's upcoming tour kicks off May 10 in New Orleans, and the band will perform in cities including Dallas, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Boston, New York City and Atlanta before wrapping on July 1 in Miami.
