Scalper Scoop

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edgeztv2

The Fly
Joined
Mar 28, 2009
Messages
41
Anyone with knowledge of modern scalping operations, please contribute to this thread.

There's been some talk on this forum that U2.com memberships are being used by scalpers. I've certainly suspected that myself, and it would piss me off if this were true. I mean to pay $50 bucks just to get a bit closer to leveling the playing field with the scalpers is just unfair.

However, a U2.com membership may or may not be the way scalpers operate. Here are the pros and cons of getting tickets this way, if you run a scalper cartel:

Pros:

Easily justifiable business expense. $50 for 4 tickets means only $12.50 markup per ticket, which is pocket change when you stand to sell it at $200+ markup.

Cons:

It's a hassle. When you're managing a network of tickets for hundreds of concerts and sporting events, and are used to placing orders of 12 tickets or more at once, doing all that extra work for just 4 tickets seems annoying. You have to bother with finding different addresses, different credit cards, etc.


So I'm not sure whether it's worth it or not for the scalpers. They are (I'm guessing) equipped with software tools that easily put them ahead of the average person during the general sale, so why bother setting up 3 memberships and making 3 purchases when you can just lay back an pick up 12 tickets in one scoop during the general sale.

On the other hand it's not like these people have higher quality use for their time than signing up for memberships and using pre-sales. I mean what do they do all day other than being rude on the phone, socializing with other shady assholes in their underworld, and buying/selling tickets online? In other words, it's part of their job.

What do people think - worth it or not for the scalpers? What fraction of memberships falls into the wrong hands?
 
I have seen scalpers/touts at gigs before and they have handfulls of tickets - often ones that are connected together (i.e like they were printed and given to that person) - which suggests some of them have inside connections which allows them to get tickets at source.
 
they have handfulls of tickets - often ones that are connected together (i.e like they were printed and given to that person)

Isn't that how you get tickets in the mail from ticketmaster? I think they come in a folded string along with the receipt "ticket". I don't think that's evidence of any special priviledge.
 
BVS why do you end every sentence with ...


Just curious. It's like you have more to say... but where is it...



lol :wink:
 
Isn't that how you get tickets in the mail from ticketmaster? I think they come in a folded string along with the receipt "ticket". I don't think that's evidence of any special priviledge.

yea, but when they have a chunk like 20, it looks a bit dodgy!
 
It's not the $50 that would be a deterrent for scalpers - it's the hassle of signing up for multiple memberships.

That is not a deterrent. Most brokers (not street scalpers, which is dying breed in the internet world, many of you kids probably never had the pleasure of dealing with fat Louie in a dimly lit alley next to the concert hall :wink:), have a large bank of credit card numbers at their disposal(friends, family members, themselves at different addresses/PO Boxes), for use at popular events with small tix limits so if they think there's value in membership, they'll do it.
As for the general on sale, nowadays the bigger brokers have software that can circumvent TM's word verification at high speed giving brokers an advantage over those of us who type with our fingers, be it 10 like some of us or 2 like me. TM going from 1 word to 2 was an attempt to get the upper hand here, but as fast as TM comes up with technology to level the playing field, someone develops a program to beat the system and sells it to brokers. They'll have multiple computers with super fast connections going during on sales, they hold a distinct advantage. I've also seen (moreso in the past) them at venues paying folks to buy tix, including seeing a scalper bus in like 20 homeless guys once and paying them each 20 bucks to stand in line for Bowie tickets.
When you add in the wonderful world of ebay and Craig's List where every Tom, Dick and Bono fancies himself an amtueu on line scalper, tix for popular concerts are harder to get than ever, especially good ones.
 
Thanks for posting that trevster...good stuff. As much as I'm not a fan of scalpers, there is plenty of blame to go around. Scalpers wouldn't be so pervasive if the framework wasn't already in place for them to provide their 'service'. I've been going to shows for years, and consider myself very good at the Ticketmaster game. I'm not hating on U2, but the artists themselves bear some responsibility. My unsolicited .02 to help the problem, which I know will never happen.....

1) Enforce zip code restrictions - Don't have a zip code within a predetermined area, no dice. However, if, after a day or two of the initial sale doesn't sell out, then open it up.
2) Make hard tickets a pricier option. E-tickets = not so desirable for resellers.
3) Put the name on the tickets. Matching ID only. Offer some kind of emergency event insurance like the airline industry does.
4) Make more of the best seats will call only. Immediate entrance upon receipt of tickets.
5) If someone wants hard tickets, have them not mailed until 10 days before the show. The occasional pair will get lost, but this can be remedied at the box office with ID and new ones reprinted and voiding the old ones.
6) Same thing with e-tickets. Very easy to set the servers to email the PDF file 72 hrs before the show.

Now, I realize many of these trash the convenience factors, trading etc. But I think these are prices we might have to pay to get more tickets in the hands of FANS. Who here hasn't bought a nonrefundable plane ticket? Yet the idea of not having the tickets in our hands 5 months in advance might be horrifying. As cool as it is that U2 is selling out shows, it's mind boggling that STADIUM shows are 'sold out' in seconds. I'll be the first to admit I underestimated their ability to do this(economy, $250 seats, etc), but the system is beyond repair when getting through at 10:00:10 yields nothing but single seats.
 
Too bad the ticket sellers don't want to implement any of those suggestions because they're profiting from the current arrangement.

Also, those of us who are trying to see U2 in other cities or who have zip codes in places where they aren't going would be screwed, and if there were ID requirements, not even able to trade...
 
CBC.ca - Marketplace - How does a stadium concert sell out in seven minutes?

Investigate report about c*******ers, err, scalpers, same thing.

And Ticketbastards involvement too

Is Ticketmaster double-dipping? | CBC News: Marketplace


Thanks for posting, Trev.


This whole issue pisses me off beyond belief. Maybe it's because I can remember back when it was easier to get tickets, but I don't understand the acceptance of the system that most people seem to have now. It's like they're willingly bending over so they can get screwed!

I started this thread in B&C a while back about the current situation in Ontario.

http://www.u2interference.com/forum...aster-in-ontario-are-you-eligible-193267.html


The most recent news is at the end of the thread, and it seems the provincial government is willing to look into it, and hopefully take action. Unlike some areas, it's blatantly illegal in Ontario to sell tickets over face, but it's not enforced at all.

Now that this issue has entered the awareness of politicians to a greater degree in both Canada and the US, I'd urge you all to contact your provincial or state politicians and let them know that you want something done about this, that's the only way things will change.

This is the most recent news about the Ontario situation, from a week or two ago:

Ontario law targets Ticketmaster
By THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO - Ontario is planning legislation to stop Ticketmaster from allowing tickets for Ontario concerts and other events to be resold on its TicketsNow website.

Premier Dalton McGuinty says the Ontario government tried to convince Ticketmaster to do what we he says is the right thing to protect ticket buyers.

However, McGuinty says the company wouldn't agree to stop letting tickets for Ontario events be sold on the resale site it owns, TicketsNow, so the province will have to introduce legislation.

He says the province was just asking Ticketmaster to be reasonable.

Ticketmaster is facing a growing backlash from consumers and artists opposed to its ownership of TicketsNow, where tickets are often sold for many times the face value.

Two class-action lawsuits have been filed in Canada against Ticketmaster and the federal Competition Bureau is also looking at the company's policies.

Ticketmaster reached a $350,000 settlement with the state of New Jersey and agreed to compensate fans to a Bruce Springsteen concert after The Boss fumed about prices on TicketsNow.
 
ideas

Thanks for posting that trevster...good stuff. As much as I'm not a fan of scalpers, there is plenty of blame to go around. Scalpers wouldn't be so pervasive if the framework wasn't already in place for them to provide their 'service'. I've been going to shows for years, and consider myself very good at the Ticketmaster game. I'm not hating on U2, but the artists themselves bear some responsibility. My unsolicited .02 to help the problem, which I know will never happen.....

1) Enforce zip code restrictions - Don't have a zip code within a predetermined area, no dice. However, if, after a day or two of the initial sale doesn't sell out, then open it up.


That's real fair to fans who want to travel to shows outside their home area
:rolleyes:

2) Make hard tickets a pricier option. E-tickets = not so desirable for resellers.

Wrong - brokers prefer e-tickets, as they can hold on to them until the last second and email them out rather than dumping them early

3) Put the name on the tickets. Matching ID only. Offer some kind of emergency event insurance like the airline industry does.

Not realistic when you're selling 50-80K tickets per night


4) Make more of the best seats will call only. Immediate entrance upon receipt of tickets.

Good idea for premium seats

5) If someone wants hard tickets, have them not mailed until 10 days before the show. The occasional pair will get lost, but this can be remedied at the box office with ID and new ones reprinted and voiding the old ones.

What does that accomplish?

6) Same thing with e-tickets. Very easy to set the servers to email the PDF file 72 hrs before the show.

What does that accomplish?
...
 
1) Enforce zip code restrictions - Don't have a zip code within a predetermined area, no dice. However, if, after a day or two of the initial sale doesn't sell out, then open it up.


That's real fair to fans who want to travel to shows outside their home area

Like I said, open it up for others after a short period. What about locals who only can afford to go to a single show in their area and get shut out?


2) Make hard tickets a pricier option. E-tickets = not so desirable for resellers.

Wrong - brokers prefer e-tickets, as they can hold on to them until the last second and email them out rather than dumping them early

If a broker prefers e-tickets for the sole reason on dumping them easily then they've probably not made a killing. I doubt that this happens enough for our liking, since they're obviously not in business to take a bath on last minute e-ticket discharges. I was also referring to private sellers, where they usually are quick to add 'hard tickets' to their listings. Either way, if #5 and #6 happened this wouldn't be an issue. If someone has tickets in either form six months ahead of showtime they can charge whatever crazy prices they want. Whether or not, as concert goers, we're willing to make sacrifices of convenience of some kind is what I think this comes down to.

3) Put the name on the tickets. Matching ID only. Offer some kind of emergency event insurance like the airline industry does.

Not realistic when you're selling 50-80K tickets per night

Yes, in stadium shows this is obviously true(my bad), although they could definitely do this for more seats across the board and it would help. For arena shows it could be effective.


4) Make more of the best seats will call only. Immediate entrance upon receipt of tickets.

Good idea for premium seats

5) If someone wants hard tickets, have them not mailed until 10 days before the show. The occasional pair will get lost, but this can be remedied at the box office with ID and new ones reprinted and voiding the old ones.

What does that accomplish?

If you don't have the tickets until close to showtime you'll have a tougher time selling them. Often the window for the most expensive secondary pricing seems to be soon after the initial sale.


6) Same thing with e-tickets. Very easy to set the servers to email the PDF file 72 hrs before the show.

What does that accomplish?

Same as #5


Maybe they would all be horrible in practice. But something needs to be done. I know of casual concert goers who don't ever bother trying to get tickets anymore. At least I was 1/6 :D
 
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