Ticket Touts

padair

I hope I am posting this in the correct forum. My apologies if not. I am hoping that some one can clear up my confusion surrounding Ticket Touts and Touting websites.

Does anyone who is it is illegal to sell a ticket for more than the face value of the ticket?

If it is then my next question has relevance.

If it is illegal to sell tickets over the cost of the ticket, how can it be legal for sites like Seatwave to set up the sale of a ticket between two people.

If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them.
Padair.

MyKeyG

padair wrote: »

I hope I am posting this in the correct forum. My apologies if not. I am hoping that some one can clear up my confusion surrounding Ticket Touts and Touting websites.

Does anyone who is it is illegal to sell a ticket for more than the face value of the ticket?

If it is then my next question has relevance.

If it is illegal to sell tickets over the cost of the ticket, how can it be legal for sites like Seatwave to set up the sale of a ticket between two people.

If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them.
Padair.

It's not illegal as an individual has the right to resell their property for whatever price they see fit however it is usually against the original vendors T&C's. Website's such as Seatwave and Needaticket.ie claim that they provide a means by which individuals can resell tickets such as on ebay therefore legally seperating them from the shady operator outside Croke Park selling tickets for personal gain not being a licensed trader.
However both sites have been accused of using the site as a cover to aquire tickets en masse in order to resell them for their own profit.

lordgoat

MyKeyG wrote: »

It's not illegal as an individual has the right to resell their property for whatever price they see fit however it is usually against the original vendors T&C's. Website's such as Seatwave and Needaticket.ie claim that they provide a means by which individuals can resell tickets such as on ebay therefore legally seperating them from the shady operator outside Croke Park selling tickets for personal gain not being a licensed trader.
However both sites have been accused of using the site as a cover to aquire tickets en masse in order to resell them for their own profit.

Does it not say on the back of tickets that they are non transferable?

There is no difference between the sites you mentioned and the scalpers on the the streets. I know for a fact that one of the sites you mentioned has connections to street touts.

As in i've heard one of them say - did you book your tickets through <site name> - ya i have your tickets here for you.

After which he goes back to "anyone buyin or sellin tickets"

MyKeyG

lordgoat wrote: »

Does it not say on the back of tickets that they are non transferable?

There is no difference between the sites you mentioned and the scalpers on the the streets. I know for a fact that one of the sites you mentioned has connections to street touts.

As in i've heard one of them say - did you book your tickets through <site name> - ya i have your tickets here for you.

After which he goes back to "anyone buyin or sellin tickets"

Yeah that's what I mean by the T&C's of the original vendor. Ticketmaster forbid the resale but unfortunately if I buy a ticket for a gig off you for double the worth who's to say when I get to the event that I aquired the ticket through that means?

I completely agree, ethnically speaking you're right in saying these sites are no different than the touts on the street as in ultimately the real fans get screwed but the fact is they work out of offices in well known locations. The owner of one I mentioned makes frequent interviews on radio and in other media defending his site yet the authorities have made no attempt to close them down.

The real clincher is that even if they do crack down on online resale on Irish sites there's always UK sites that can take their place. And let's not forget ebay.

Minstrel27

May they all get AIDS

MyKeyG

Minstrel27 wrote: »

May they all get AIDS

They'd probably try to sell it on.

IamtheWalrus

I have bought and sold concert tickets for > face value. I have no problem with it. It is no different to selling any other goods. Sometimes I make money and other times I loose (gig not selling out).

lordgoat

IamtheWalrus wrote: »

I have bought and sold concert tickets for > face value. I have no problem with it. It is no different to selling any other goods. Sometimes I make money and other times I loose (gig not selling out).

Here's hoping you 'loose' more than you gain.

longhalloween

I always found it weird that people would sell tickets to touts.

If you're outside a venue and wanna sell your ticket just start asking people.

You'll make more cash, they'll spend less and none of it end up in the pocket of a tout!

Sinfonia

MyKeyG wrote: »

I completely agree, ethnically speaking you're right in saying these...

Bloody foreigners :P

Sinfonia

IamtheWalrus wrote: »

I have bought and sold concert tickets for > face value. I have no problem with it. It is no different to selling any other goods. Sometimes I make money and other times I loose (gig not selling out).

Yes it is.
It's different because concert tickets are limited, and they grant admission to once-off events, that people actually care about. So when they sell out because people like you buy up tickets, the people who care about attending the event are forced to either pay more than they should have to, or else miss the event altogether.

If you buy all chairs of a particular type and offer to sell one to me for twice its value, I could buy it, but I'm sure I could get another one from the manufacturer, and if not, I'll get another chair. What I mean to say is, it's just a ****ing chair.
However, if you buy all the tickets for my favourite band/artist, and then offer to sell one to me for twice its value, you're leaving me without an alternative option.

Do you see how it's different?

IamtheWalrus

I am of the opinion that I am selling the ticket to someone who was too darned lazy to get out of their beds at 9am to log on to their PC. I have never failed to get tickets when I needed them. I don't do it a lot. I may occassionally buy 1 or 2 max for a high profile show, on average once every 2 years.

I see your point about the chairs thing. I may revise my opinion on this and possibly not buy in the future.