Ticketmaster to Partially Refund Fees Following The Cure's Robert Smith Complaint.

The Cure's Robert Smith criticized Ticketmaster for charging high fees and announced that the company would refund some money to fans. Smith expressed the band's intention to keep ticket prices reasonable for their "Shows Of A Lost World Tour" in a series of tweets.

Before ticket sales began, the band had assured fans of a range of prices at each show and efforts to combat scalpers and keep prices fair. However, fans shared photos on social media showing steep service fees, facility charges, and order processing fees that significantly increased ticket prices.

In a subsequent post, Smith mentioned ongoing discussions about the fees, with Ticketmaster agreeing to refund fans who had already purchased tickets. Moving forward, tickets will have reduced fees, according to Smith's post.

Ticketmaster clarified that it does not control fees, as venues typically set and retain them for operational expenses. The company highlighted venue costs such as staff salaries, maintenance, insurance, and supplier payments, suggesting that lower fees could lead to higher face value ticket prices.

Ticketmaster did not provide an immediate response to a request for comment. The company has faced criticism in recent months over ticket availability issues, including the cancellation of Taylor Swift's tour tickets due to high demand during a Verified Fan sale. In December, fans sued Live Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster's parent company.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing to investigate Ticketmaster's practices in the ticketing industry, particularly following its 2010 merger with Live Nation. Minyvonne Burke is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News.