"Shipping is free but 3,000 won?" Fans Complain About Concert Booking Fees

Concert Booking Fee Reduced from 5,000 Won to 3,000 Won
Fans Continue Criticism... "Shipping Costs Are Not Charged"
"Clarify Refund Information and Provide Option for Paper Tickets"

SM Entertainment has changed the concert booking fee for its affiliated artists to 3,000 KRW. Last month, the company planned to set the concert booking fee at 5,000 KRW, but after fans criticized this decision, the fee was reduced. However, complaints about the fee and the smart ticket issuance method still persist.

Photo by yes24 homepage

According to Dream Maker, a subsidiary of SM Entertainment, on the 15th, the concert booking fee for SM-affiliated artists was lowered from 5,000 KRW to 3,000 KRW. Dream Maker posted a notice on the YES24 booking page for the upcoming Red Velvet concert next month stating that "to address concerns and regrets regarding the lack of some guidance and consensus," they have agreed with SM Entertainment to reduce the integrated fee starting from the performance on the 1st of next month.

According to the notice, for concerts of SM-affiliated artists, the smart ticket issuance service through the ‘ticketN’ app, which was planned and developed as part of achieving 'sustainability,' will continue. Dream Maker added that the smart ticket service was introduced to help fans enter conveniently and to prevent illegal transactions such as scalping. With the reduction of the integrated fee, fans who booked tickets for Onew and BoA concerts last month will be refunded the 2,000 KRW difference in the form of a deposit on YES24, the booking platform.

However, despite the fee reduction policy, fans’ dissatisfaction has not disappeared. Mr. Lee (32), who booked tickets for the Onew concert, said, "(The 5,000 KRW fee) was obviously unfair, and it is only right to refund it," but added, "I’m not sure if a fee twice as high as that charged by YES24, which operates the booking page, is appropriate." Ms. Jeon (33), a BoA fan, said, "I don’t understand why the fee is as high as 3,000 KRW when there is no shipping cost." When booking concert tickets through the existing YES24, a 1,000 KRW fee plus a 3,000 KRW shipping fee is charged. Moreover, if a ticket is canceled after booking, the fee is not refunded separately, leading to concerns that the cost burden remains higher than the previous fee.

It is also pointed out that when booking global tickets, even if paper tickets are picked up on-site, the same fee as the smart ticket issuance service must be paid. Mr. Seo (34), an Onew fan, said, "I booked with a global ID and picked up the ticket on-site," and questioned, "Is it acceptable to charge the same fee even though I did not use the ticketN service?" At that time, Mr. Seo had to pay the previous 5,000 KRW booking fee, the same as fans who issued smart tickets.

Photo by ticketN Application Notice

Complaints about the shortcomings of the smart ticket service itself also continued. Mr. Yoon (25) said, "Even after buying a ticket, it is not immediately confirmed, so fans sometimes have to wait from at least 40 minutes to several hours," adding, "If it really doesn’t come, you have to inquire with both YES24 and ticketN." Mr. Yoon further said, "Should consumers have to pay several thousand won to use an incomplete system?"

Fans are demanding that options for paper tickets be provided and that clear notices be given regarding individual refund cases. Ms. Kim (26) said, "I have seen opinions that entering quickly was good, but personally, I prefer paper tickets that leave memories," and added, "I hope there will be a choice."

Dream Maker stated, "Although there were parts where guidance was insufficient, we hope people view positively the advantages such as environmental protection and convenience of entry, as well as the fact that the total amount customers pay for tickets has actually decreased." They added, "We are currently in discussions regarding global tickets, canceled ticket fees, and related matters."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.