Do touts still hang around outside venues?

Not gigs per se but there were touts outside the Aviva and the RDS for the Heineken Cup semi final and URC final. Not sure why they bothered, neither game was sold out.

I've been at quite a lot of shows since everything started opening back up and have still seen them at some venues alright. Specifically the Three Arena (just as you get off the Luas) and Vicar Street for some reason - they really seem to love those venues.

Saying that, there are still a tiny amount of them, you're talking about maybe 3-4 maximum. Nothing when compared to how many there were at venues back in the day.

Have seen/heard them at the 3Arena when passing (worked nearby), nearly every gig.

Solid half dozen outside the point before alanis morisette.

might be why there are less of them or they are less obvious.

id imagine some of them might have a bit of ‘previous’ with the law… if my reading of their demographic is accurate… so not worth their while I’d imagine standing too openly or obviously in front of X venue looking for 70 quid for a 40 euro ticket…part of their strategy was to be seen, visible and loud, not these days.

They are everywhere. I have seen them outside the Olympia, 3 Arena and Vicar St. You only have to look at the history of purchasers on online sites to see who they are. Either that, or they are buying for a football team.

First of all, a massive thank you to toast. Toutless is an amzing website/community that I've used for years and have never had a problem with it or any of the people using it.

Secondly, and I know this will be controversial but I don't think the 4-6 usual lads touting at the Dublin gigs are the bad guys here.

I've seen the same ones at gigs/sporting events for the past 20 years and they've never been anything but pleasant. Compared to the online re-sellers I these these guys provide a valuable service to regular gig goers. Dozens of times over the years I bought and sold tickets to them and very rarely has this been over face value. If it has, it's the price of a few drinks max.

If you are willing to wait to the very start of a gig, you'll always get a ticket from them at face value or lower.

I'd always use fan-2-fan ticket sales whenever possible, but I wouldn't put anyone off going to a sold out gig (especially mid week in Dublin). You'll normally always get a fan selling a spare and if not, these lads will sell you one. Plus if you've any sort of negotiating skills, you can sometimes get a great bargain.

Something similar going to Chelsea matches in London over the years. I pay £50 for a £10 kids ticket and get told to go to a specific entrance where his mate was working. Worked everytime!

Was a few outside Marlay Park for the chilli's the other night. Haven't noticed them other than that but they probably tend to be at the bigger events.

On a related note, what way do people genuinely buy or sell tickets now with so many being etickets? Is there not a much higher chance you could be scammed? Was actually selling a ticket recently and was wondering what I'd do if anyone came forward, thankfully someone I knew bought it off me so not an issue.

As loath as I am to praise ticketmaster, the new transfer system they have is really good. If someone transfers you tickets that way you know they're yours and there's no chance they've been duplicated (at least, I think that's true)

Are the old barcodes not invalidated if they're transferred?

I don't actually know, I just assumed they were

If an individual gets their hands on 20 tickets using various credit / debit cards. Theirs, family, friends…If they make 20 euros profit on each. That’s 500 euros profit for very little time and effort. Probably 3 hours work.

5 gigs a month that it’s worth their while doing that for that’s around 2500 cash into their pocket. That’s 30,000 cash in hand a year.

only overheads… Ticketmaster fees ( maybe ) and a bus to the venue.

its lucrative, profitable… illegal now yeah but I’m willing to bet nobody has ever been arrested for ticket touting….

I don’t know about that. There’s a few issues that would go against that opportunity.

• The way the ticketing has gone recently (i.e. online, digital etc.), not that many people will buy of touts. I don’t think I would anymore. I have in the past on the very very odd occasion. I never got stung by any fraud, but I would never again. Don’t need to. Tickets nearly always become available. I did pay €100 for a €30 ticket for Sigur Ros in the Olympia back in the day. That was worth it. But I got one lovely one on the touts. Got a Radiohead ticket for €30, when they cost €90. Gig had already started in the 3Arena, and I was the only left outside. I enquired about a price. Was told it would be mine for €70. I said I had €30, and wasn’t that pushed. He cursed me and called me names. But still gave it to me in the end for €30.
• Realistically, do you think family and friends of a tout are going to spend time logging on to buy tickets on a regular basis.
• You give an example of 5 gigs per month. There is no way that there are 5 gigs per month in Ireland that are “properly” sold out. I put the properly in inverted commas as I’m not talking about concerts that Ticketmaster say are sold out, and then it turns out there are dozens of tickets floating around on the day of the gig for a third of the price. I can only think of one concert this year that would be lucrative – Olivia Rodrigo. Not a ticket to be found. Other than that, there were plenty of tickets for other high profile gigs as the days got closer to the gigs. There were couple of touts outside Fontaines DC on Sunday evening. Looking for €50 per ticket. Not a chance. Nobody there looking for tickets. I think with so much gone online, that even the day of people turning up to gigs looking for tickets has gone. The idea is that if a ticket cannot be bought online, then feck it.
• Lastly, and sorry for the smart ass – but 20 x 20 = 400.  

None outside the sold out Napalm Death gig a few weeks ago.

Surely their family and friends are getting a cut?

Yip the same old street touts, very dodgy looking.

Doubt they were selling below face value for that event I'd imagine.