Presumably, the $25 suggestion was meant to be enough of a "deal" to deter flakes and tirekickers.
Drawing on your wish to walk in another's shoes: what strategies would you suggest for clients to not be swindled, be it $25 or $200, by no-shows?
IMHO, booking fees are unreasonable for Ticketmaster and other rentseekers who don't provide benefit but extract a cost. I'd skip any ad like that. (And recommend using a spamfilter; zero sympathy for the modern ills we all share.)