Ticket Scalping on eBay

[Indiana Jones]

I was set this morning to buy a ticket for U2's Melbourne show next March. I have cable internet, my credit card details were in order, I had the webpage up and my finger was on the mouse button ...

... but I missed out on getting a ticket, by the time my order went through, General Admission was sold out. So I tried for seating, and it too was all sold out.

Almost immediately after selling out, tickets were put up for sale on eBay. GA tix are going for three times their face value, some over $300 Australian!!!

This makes me so f***ng angry. Considering how quickly these tix were put up on eBay makes it pretty bloody obvious that they bought the tix to make a profit on eBay, and had no intention of going to the concert at all.

Something can be done about this, surely? Isn't it illegal to sell tix to a concert the day the tix go on sale?

I can understand people selling their tix because they can't go to the concert for whatever reason (work, family, illness). Usually people with genuine reasons for selling tix do it at a reasonable price, as close to face value as possible.

But the scum on eBay right now, I want to destroy them all. It's bad enough to miss out on getting a ticket, but to see these money-hungry bastards selling tix on eBay already ....

 

[A_Wanderer]

Supply and demand mate, now I missed out on tickets because a real brains trust friend of friend decided to buy online but thats no cause to get pissed at the people who buy 8 tickets to sell on e-bay.

The demand right now is huge, I suspect that as more tickets go on it will level out to a resonably inflated ammount.

 

[Indiana Jones]

They bought the tickets to make a profit by selling them on eBay, and had no intentions whatsoever of attending any concert.

People who would have bought those 8 tickets from Ticketmaster, now have to pay three times the price on eBay for those same tickets.

If those 8 tickets hadn't have been bought solely to sell on eBay for profit, the tickets would've been available, and you and I'd be seeing U2 next March.

What do I think of the scalpers, and those who think it's okay to buy tickets solely to sell on ebay for profit? Well,

 

[foray]

I hate scalpers. So very, very much.

foray

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

Even though it's hard now, be patient. Hopefully they will announce second dates in some cities. Also, closer to the time of the show, prices might come down. I've had lousy tickets for this Friday's show since March and have been hoping for GA's. All the pairs I saw were going for over $400. Last night I was lucky enough to get a pair for $143, which is actually cheaper than second- and top-level prices.

Good luck. Hopefully all of us who had good ticket luck on the first three legs can send it your way now

 

[Gen. Chat]

I could never get my head around that eight ticket limit, what average fan buys eight tickets? The sale should be limited to pairs or four maximum in my opinion just to make things a bit more difficult for the ticket brokers but I did get a little insight from a couple I met in Houston. They traveled in from Louisiana and bought multiple tickets when they first went on sale but only needed a pair. They were average fans not professional brokers and the profit from the extra tickets essentially paid for their tickets with a little left over.

 

[alexvilagosh]

I'm not sure - someone in front of me in line bought 6 tickets at $199 each ohmy: ), and he definatly wasn't a scalper. Just a big fan - you could tell - who is friends with 5 other fans.

 

[chocky]

Selling a ticket contravenes the rules of purchase and, though not "illegal" (except in Victoria) can result in the cancellation of the ticket - but the issuer (Ticketek / Ticketmaster) can only cancel the ticket if they know the ticket number/s.

As long as scalpers don't divulge the ticket number, they get away with it.

Ticketek has been known to bid on tickets then, when they get the ticket details from the seller, report the sale to eBay, refuse to pay, cancel the tickets & donate them to charity.

8 tickets is too many. It used to be 4 and that was much fairer. If you need 8 for a bunch of mates, get a mate to come with you!!

The 2nd Sydney concert will be announced today (6 December) for the 1st April

 

[Liesje]

I agree it should be less than 8. Very rarely is there a group that large wanting tickets together. And if so, too bad. Now people can't even get singles let alone pairs or 4 or 8. Most venues have a smaller limit. I go to a smaller college and we can only get 4 tickets at a time and we have to present 4 different student ID cards for them (so you can ask for 4 student rate tickets and give three to your family).

 

[u2wedge]

I was set this morning to buy a ticket for U2's Melbourne show next March. I have cable internet, my credit card details were in order, I had the webpage up and my finger was on the mouse button ...

... but I missed out on getting a ticket, by the time my order went through, General Admission was sold out. So I tried for seating, and it too was all sold out.

Almost immediately after selling out, tickets were put up for sale on eBay. GA tix are going for three times their face value, some over $300 Australian!!!

This makes me so f***ng angry. Considering how quickly these tix were put up on eBay makes it pretty bloody obvious that they bought the tix to make a profit on eBay, and had no intention of going to the concert at all.

Something can be done about this, surely? Isn't it illegal to sell tix to a concert the day the tix go on sale?

I can understand people selling their tix because they can't go to the concert for whatever reason (work, family, illness). Usually people with genuine reasons for selling tix do it at a reasonable price, as close to face value as possible.

But the scum on eBay right now, I want to destroy them all. It's bad enough to miss out on getting a ticket, but to see these money-hungry bastards selling tix on eBay already ....

It's deja vu, all over again...

we had the same problem on the 1st leg, and to a degree on the 3rd here in the states.

 

[Indiana Jones]

Second show

Well, second shows will be available on Monday 12th for Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. Huzzah.

Wish me luck getting a ticket!

 

[alexvilagosh]

While I know it's not always possible, you should try and go to a Ticketmaster outlet - more chance than the always clogged up internet. I had someone trying on the internet yesterday with no luck; I got in line at 5:30 (I was about 50th in line too) in the morning and was able to get a ticket.

Good luck!

 

[Berlin_Wall]

Last night we were broken into and had about $7,000 worth of gear taken whilst we were asleep....that coupled with my no go for tickets yesterday have made this a great start to the week....

Could be worse though......they could announce a second Brissy show and i miss out again

 

[Liesje]

While I know it's not always possible, you should try and go to a Ticketmaster outlet - more chance than the always clogged up internet. I had someone trying on the internet yesterday with no luck; I got in line at 5:30 (I was about 50th in line too) in the morning and was able to get a ticket.

Good luck!

I tried this for the US first leg and it sucked b/c the girl running the sale looked like a barely literate high schooler. Also, they shuffled the line so even though we were there first, we ended up in the back. It's true you don't have to deal with the internet freezing, but it can really vary depending on the policies. Some locations even have blackouts where the outlet sales are frozen for the first 15 minutes of general sale. It almost seems like calling is the best way, if you can get in the phone queue in time.

 

[thatsnotmypuppy]

Hmm, I got 6 GA tickets because they went on sale at 9am - when most people are at work. Thus since a) i work at ticketek (I had to wait until 9 to get tickets - we had no preferential allotment for U2) and b) i was designated purchaser for a few people I got a bigger batch of tickets.

I suspect that the 9am on sale date would explain the case with a lot of people. Get a Uni student mate to line up and buy us all tickets... thus I agree with the 8 ticket limit.

I am also distressed at all the eBay listings - but as stated above - its not illegal in most states. Also as for ticketek buying the tickets off eBay - I have never heard of that happening - however you'd have to be an absolute idiot to publish the exact ticket places and numbers. Fuck that. Get the cash in your hand and then mail them.... of course I do not condone it either way.

 

[foray]

My family covered all bases - they tried online, the post offices, and queueing for hours at the store. Still no tickets. Sigh!

foray