I Loathe Ticket Brokers - They Are The Scum Of The Earth (1 Viewer)

[Marc_Sulinski]

I suspect the REFIGERATORS WEREN'T RUNNING AT ALL! What the hell, do you think every tiny hole in the wall deil in NYC has a generator gassed and ready to go at all times?!!

I did not say that every deli did, though maybe the one that is able to charge $20 for a six-pack had one. What about the pizza place? There is a good chance you need electricity to make pizza.

Either way, these are not essential items.

About the gas prices, I do not know how much more the gas station would have to pay to be able to get the gas into the city. With the traffic conditions the way they were, it would be very difficult.

For some reason, you seem to be totally unwilling to accept that prices should ever go up in an emergency, and you attribute it all to greed, without ever considering that the business also has higher costs in these circumstances. Maybe the government should just tell every business how much they can sell stuff for? Or better yet, maybe the government should be in charge of producing and distributing all goods and services.

 

[MikeDeVincenzo]

Marc

I can't really answer your questions/assertions in a serious manner without breaking the rules the HTF has in place with regards to posting, and I must respect them.

Thanks for the discussion.

 

[MarkHastings]

Something that no one so far has mentioned is that scalping is not illegal everywhere, nor is it illegal to the same degree everywhere.

That's the thing that makes this thread so lopsided. I grew up in a state that considers a profit of over $3 to be illegal. It's crazy how you can be in one state and make a $4 profit and it's illegal, yet you can make $100 in the next state and it's ok.

They really need to do something with this law. But as I've been arguing, I do realize that there are others states where it is not illegal to scalp tickets, this still doesn't mean I have to agree with it. I would have also thought that most people here would put aside the whole "Supply and Demand" debate and just see scalping for what it is. The scalpers out there are not what I'd consider to be the type of person I'd want to be friends with. They're all greedy bastards who are only conserned about making money off of fans who want to see a show.

Ok, I know I'm going off on a tangent here, but I think I would feel better if there was a law that would discourage scalping right off the bat. Why not make the first few days that the tickets go on sale be "Scalper free" days. Devise a system that (which I explained before) that links the purchased ticket to a customer. This way, the ticket can't be (or can't easily be) transferred to another person. This system would make it hard for scalpers to obtain tickets during the first day they go on sale, thus allowing the "Fans" to buy them. If the show sells out, then Good. The arena makes the money on the ticket sales...end of story. If the tickets don't sell out in the first few days, then allow people to buy hordes of tickets to "scalp" later on. At least this way, you'd have a chance to buy a ticket for the "TICKET PRICE" and not the "Scalping Price".

This way, you can still have your scalpers and I still have a chance to buy a ticket at the original price. I guess the big problem I have with scalping is more the fact that they usually buy all the tickets so quickly that no one has a decent chance to buy them from the box office.

I just know the scalpers would have a BIG issue with my system, beecause they wouldn't be able to control the tickets, but that's exactly what's wrong with them. They shouldn't be allowed to control the selling of tickets.

 

[Marc_Sulinski]

Ok, I know I'm going off on a tangent here, but I think I would feel better if there was a law that would discourage scalping right off the bat. Why not make the first few days that the tickets go on sale be "Scalper free" days. Devise a system that (which I explained before) that links the purchased ticket to a customer. This way, the ticket can't be (or can't easily be) transferred to another person. This system would make it hard for scalpers to obtain tickets during the first day they go on sale, thus allowing the "Fans" to buy them. If the show sells out, then Good. The arena makes the money on the ticket sales...end of story. If the tickets don't sell out in the first few days, then allow people to buy hordes of tickets to "scalp" later on. At least this way, you'd have a chance to buy a ticket for the "TICKET PRICE" and not the "Scalping Price".

The problem with a law like this is that it can hurt regular consumers as well. Imagine if you purchased tickets to an event and found out that you couldn't go, so maybe you give them away to a friend. Well, now your friend will not be able to get in. There are also times when one person may buy several tickets so that he/she can get some friends to go along.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Another problem is that it does not address block sales by the promoters, venue owners, artists, etc. who use the tickets for various promotional reasons or personal favors.

There are other circumstances: many people buy season tickets to sporting events, giving them the right to purchase playoff tickets (or to get in a lottery for them or additional ones). Should they not have a right to sell a playoff ticket at a profit, if they so wish? Or even regular season games which they can’t attend? Some people I know subsidize their season tickets by selling off a few games during the season. If they could not do this, they would not be able to afford their season tickets (and for some teams a season ticket is your only chance to attend).

It is not a complete picture that scalpers are the sole ones responsible for reducing the supply of tickets to an event.

 

[Patrick Sun]

The overhead in producing "scalper-proof" tickets would serve to increase ticket prices. No thanks.

 

[RobertR]

They're all greedy bastards who are only conserned about making money off of fans who want to see a show.

You must also think of others as greedy bastards, including Mick Jagger, Britney Spears, Barbra Streisand, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks, etc. etc. etc., all of whom have made MILLIONS of dollars (FAR more than any scalper) off fans who paid to see them.

 

[MarkHastings]

If you personally don't want to do business with scalpers, that's your choice. But it should not be imposed on others.

Again, if it weren't for scalper buying up all the tickets (to sell later on), there'd be no reason for Supply and Demand. Who cares if it is legal to scalp in other states...I don't see how anyone can see scalping as something that is good. There is so much wrong in it. I mean if there was nothing wrong with it, then there wouldn't be laws against it. The fact that there is such a fine line between legal, moral, and what is right when it comes to scalping is the reason why the law is only effective in certain states.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Again, if it weren't for scalper buying up all the tickets (to sell later on), there'd be no reason for Supply and Demand.

My problem is that I think this statement is not true.

I don’t think that it is, in general individual scalpers who buy up the seats, especially the prime seats, but rather legitimate ticket brokers, travel agencies (in the case of sporting events), other prearranged block sales to groups, corporate purchases, and tickets reserved for promotional purposes and internal consumption (for example many artists and athletes get comp tickets—it all adds up), season ticket and other premium seat holders (for example some venues allow a person who ‘bought’ a seat during the venue construction the right to purchase that seat for any and all events.

By the time you total all of these up, a substantial percentage of tickets never even goes on sale to the public.

Coming back to a ‘supply and demand’ situation.

BTW, if you were not aware, a lot of the tickets that you see being sold by scalpers outside of events have been acquired from one of the legitimate sources mentioned above. And every one of these guys thinks that he has a right to make a profit. And in some locations he has a legal right.

 

[RobertR]

The fact that there is such a fine line between legal, moral, and what is right when it comes to scalping

Further evidence that you CAN'T make the blanket assertion that scalping is "immoral", since many many people (including legislators) don't agree with you.

 

[MarkHastings]

Ok, I appologize for trying to defend buying tickets for the price they are marked on the ticket. Apparently we (as the consumer) have no say as long as there is no law, then everyone is free to do whatever they want and we're just supposed to suck it up.

Further evidence that you CAN'T make the blanket assertion that scalping is "immoral", since many many people (including legislators) don't agree with you.

Since you keep bringing up the salves argument, I also remind you of Christopher Columbus who everyone laughed at when they thought he was crazy for trying to sail around the world.

So I say, just because it's not illgeal in some states and just because many people are ok with it, doesn't mean I am wrong in my thinking


p.s. Since it is illegal in the state of CT to sell tickets for more than $3 over the price of the ticket, how do you feel about scalpers in CT who sell tickets for $100 over the price? Do you still agree that these people aren't doing anything wrong? Again, remember that it is illegal to do what they do.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Then, enforcement of the law is the crux of the matter. How do you propose to enforce the local laws? Human nature being what it is, it's an uphill battle.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Ok, I appologize for trying to defend buying tickets for the price they are marked on the ticket. Apparently we (as the consumer) have no say as long as there is no law, then everyone is free to do whatever they want and we're just supposed to suck it up.

No need to apologize—you are clearly stating your feelings and opinions. But I don’t think that you are defending buying tickets at their marked price—you can already do that just by not buying at an inflated price. Your concern seems to be that other people are happy (or at least willing) to purchase tickets at more than their marked price and that someone who is not directly responsible for the product is getting the profit.

Even if there were no scalping, tickets would not be more available than they are today. The demand would not only be the same, it would be even greater. Just think—everyone who is willing to pay $100 extra for a concert ticket, is also a competitor for them at the marked price. And worse yet, everyone who was willing to pay only $50 extra (but was shut out because the true market price was higher) is also now a competitor for the tickets at the marked price.

Personally I think that the only reason these laws are on the books is so the politicians can claim to be addressing the needs of the common man. I’ve never seen any real attempt to enforce them (other than sporadic, one-off efforts, usually to garner more public support.

 

[Chris Lockwood]

> Since it is illegal in the state of CT to sell tickets for more than $3 over the price of the ticket, how do you feel about scalpers in CT who sell tickets for $100 over the price?

I think they're taking a risk, & if they get caught, that's their problem. But as long as the tickets they're selling are genuine & from legitimate sources, I don't see how it's any of the state of CT's business. Does the state regulate the ticket prices that promoters can set? I doubt it. So the only "problem" is that someone else is trying to make a profit, but nobody has to buy anything from a scalper.

How do you feel about the fees Ticketmaster charges? Some of them are pretty high as a % of the ticket price, especially for lower-priced shows.

 

[RobertR]

Do you still agree that these people aren't doing anything wrong? Again, remember that it is illegal to do what they do.

Yep. It's not wrong, just as it wasn't wrong to help escaped slaves (which you agreed was right even though it was illegal).

Therefore, you've agreed that the mere fact that something is illegal doesn't mean it's wrong.