Ticketmaster and Tickets.com - Taking Every Penny They Can from Spring Training

If you’re a baseball fan, it’s hard to beat a trip to Arizona in March for Spring Training.

The fans like the Cactus League, the teams like the Cactus League, and Ticketmaster and Tickets.com just LOVE the Cactus League.

During Spring Training, you can still get good tickets for most teams for much less than the cost of regular season games. But just like the regular season, both ticketing agencies will be sure to extract a hefty sum from your wallet.

So although you can buy a ticket with a face value of as low as $6 (lawn seats), be prepared to tack on some sizable fees.

Here’s the REAL cost of your tickets.

Ticketmaster

Using an example of a high-end ticket for the Dodgers -- a $42 seat behind home plate for the Dodgers -- you’ll have to add a $4.50 convenience fee. Then add a $2.50 charge to print your own ticket (unless you want to pay considerably more for UPS delivery). AND don’t forget your $3 order fee. So your $42 ticket really costs $52.

What’s that? You want to pick up your ticket at the Will Call window? Sorry. The Dodgers and White Sox don’t offer that option. You’ll have to pay to have your ticket delivered whether you like it or not.

Total cost of having to do business with Ticketmaster: an extra 23.8% on top of the ticket face value.

Tickets.com

Pricing out a Tickets.com simple $6 lawn seat for the Padres, you’ll have to add a $1.50 convenience fee and a $3 order fee. In other words, Tickets.com just added on an extra 66% to the cost of your ticket.

On a $23 ticket, your convenience fee is $4, plus the $3 order fee. So Tickets.com is “only” taking an extra 30.4% on top of face value.

And remember, this is assuming you pick your ticket at the Will Call window at the stadium. But Tickets.com will try to convince you to use their “print at home” feature for an extra $2.25.

Oh, and did you want insurance? Tickets.com will try to sell you that too. Pay $6, and you MIGHT be able to get your money back -- if the reason for canceling your tickets is covered.