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Why scalpers can get tickets

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Re: Why scalpers can get tickets

#161

Post by hedora »

justinlkarr wrote: post #141
hyldmo wrote: post #80

I’m not going to speak on how this could be hard to implement in other countries, but in my country selling a ticket above the price it was bought for is illegal, and as a result (maybe there is other factors in in play but) it’s basically a non-issue here

100% correct. In addition to being generally legal in the US, in key markets, resale cannot legally be constrained. A venue or artist cannot legally institute policies or practices to prohibit resale. Even if resale were prohibited or technically impossible, it will not necessarily be any easier to get tickets to a high demand event as resale is only a factor when an event has enough demand to sell out far in advance…

Resale is prohibited for (some?) ticketmaster events, unless you resell through Ticketmaster, allowing them to double-dip on the transaction fee.

So, it would be hard for them to make the argument you are making. They directly profit from resale (that they “can’t legally ban”) because their ban on resale is legal.

Re: Why scalpers can get tickets

#162

Post by autoexec »

bombcar wrote: post #124
codelikeawolf wrote: post #91

I quickly scanned the article, so I might have missed this, but can someone explain how sites like StubHub get away with what they do? As soon as I found out about them, I immediately thought "aren't these people just scalpers that offer tickets on the internet instead of standing out in front of venues?" If the argument is that they're not scalpers , they're resellers , then I'd like to try selling some concert tick…

They started out as plain scalper marketplaces but now have deals with most venues to give the venue a cut.

So venues take bribes in the from of kickbacks to look the other way when stubhub commits illegal acts? or does stubhub not operate in states where scalping tickets is a crime?

Re: Why scalpers can get tickets

#163

Post by bastard_op »

azinman2 wrote: post #114

My impractical solution: no resale of tickets, and check of ID at the door. It’ll slow things down for check in, and people sick will miss out, but it will collectively bring prices down and increase seat availability.

Treat them like an airplane ticket, you don't see others getting on when it isn't in their name, do you? I don't see people scalping flights to shady people for the past 20 or so years, so it's possible.

Ticketmaster simply won't take the measures, as they have absolutely no financial problem with the way it is now or throughout the history of them existing. Their only problem is trying to figure out how to get scalper prices themselves, which they've already tried and gotten backlash for.

Re: Why scalpers can get tickets

#164

Post by master_crab »

anonymouse008 wrote: post #131
azinman2 wrote: post #114

My impractical solution: no resale of tickets, and check of ID at the door. It’ll slow things down for check in, and people sick will miss out, but it will collectively bring prices down and increase seat availability.

This is the only true solution. There’s a few things to work out legally - but they are all solvable. Perhaps there should be a seat transfer portal that opens 24-48 hours before (or at some specified time) for those true extenuating circumstances so family members or friends could get access to tickets. Otherwise, first principles says end transferability to end the secondary market.

Just allow refunds/partial refunds to the original seller and they can put it back on the market.

Airlines arguably have the same type of selling situation and no one is scalping coach seats to Cleveland.

Re: Why scalpers can get tickets

#165

Post by MPSimmons »

azinman2 wrote: post #114

My impractical solution: no resale of tickets, and check of ID at the door. It’ll slow things down for check in, and people sick will miss out, but it will collectively bring prices down and increase seat availability.

I hate this, but unless your solution can sufficiently answer the question, "How does this benefit Ticketmaster?", it will never happen so long as they have a monopoly on ticket sales.

Re: Why scalpers can get tickets

#166

Post by Horffupolde »

peteradio wrote: post #71
scott_w wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because, ironically, a show that only rich people can afford to attend will be pretty terrible. Rich people tend not to loudly enjoy the show, so the atmosphere isn't there. This is bad for the rest of the audience and for the performer. It's hard to put 100% in when all you can see is a bunch of people staring solemnly at you. It happens in football (soccer for my American friends) for clubs like Man Utd (and probab…

Why is it that rich people are solemnly staring in general? You'd think they'd be whooping it up on account of being made.

If you have to ask

Re: Why scalpers can get tickets

#167

Post by zarzavat »

SoftTalker wrote: post #150
driscoll42 wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a significant difference between buying something and reselling, and then having bots buying hundreds/thousands and reselling.

Not really. The demand is what it is, and the supply of tickets is fixed. That sets the price, not the number of different people selling.

OK but the tickets are going to different people. In most cases (music, sports) you want your tickets going to your best fans because the energy of the crowd improves the performance. We’re not selling wheat futures here. If the tickets instead go to rich people who may or may not show up, it could harm the event.

Re: Why scalpers can get tickets

#168

Post by sampli »

azinman2 wrote: post #114

My impractical solution: no resale of tickets, and check of ID at the door. It’ll slow things down for check in, and people sick will miss out, but it will collectively bring prices down and increase seat availability.

Yeah I don’t like scalpers at all, but I don’t think I should have to give out any personal information to buy a concert ticket.

Re: Why scalpers can get tickets

#169

Post by fallingknife »

analog31 wrote: post #122
josephcsible wrote: post #4

Why do the organizations putting on events like these leave so much money on the table? Why don't they just charge the market-clearing price themselves, leaving no room for scalpers to make any profit?

From a cynical marketing standpoint, the perceived composition of the audience is part of the product. The same is true, oddly enough, for universities. Whom you're sitting next to matters, or whom others think you're sitting next to.

Great point. Harvard could charge $500K per year and easily fill out their classes, but they never will because their value proposition epends on being perceived as the smartest, not the richest.

Re: Why scalpers can get tickets

#170

Post by azinman2 »

bastard_op wrote: post #163
azinman2 wrote: post #114

My impractical solution: no resale of tickets, and check of ID at the door. It’ll slow things down for check in, and people sick will miss out, but it will collectively bring prices down and increase seat availability.

Treat them like an airplane ticket, you don't see others getting on when it isn't in their name, do you? I don't see people scalping flights to shady people for the past 20 or so years, so it's possible. Ticketmaster simply won't take the measures, as they have absolutely no financial problem with the way it is now or throughout the history of them existing. Their only problem is trying to figure out how to get scalp…

This is where regulation could come in.
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