Ticket Touting And Profiteering

[j...rox]

Hi All,

Thought I would bring this to the attention of the forum.

I imagine at some stage or another you've been affected by Ticket Touts. At Glastonbury we are all fortunate Michael Eavis takes a strong stance against individuals make money from his festival, however 95% of other events do not have a similar policy.

The government recently launched an E-Petitions website to discuss issues which remain a concern in the public eye. The Hillsborough Files were recently discussed as a result of a succesful petition. I realise that this issue isn't to the same scale as the Hillsborough petition, however as an issue close to the hearts of many on here I feel it would be appropriate to suggest adding your name to this list and maybe circulating.

I didnt set up this petition, just an early adopter and would love to see it gain support.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/8419

Thanks

[5co77ie]

I think you might be trying to close the door now the horse has bolted - American secondary profiteers have been slowly moving into the Uk and stubHub launches here in the next few months:

http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=1046701&c=1

[j...rox]

BUMP.

[NeilVJ]

Saw something which we made me think of this thread. Another festivals website had an article saying that they were working alongside Viagogo to help and reduce touts. Is that the same Viagogo who will no doubt on Friday morning have thousands of tickets on sale from whichever artist has sold on, all at double the original price.

[eFestivals]

Saw something which we made me think of this thread. Another festivals website had an article saying that they were working alongside Viagogo to help and reduce touts. Is that the same Viagogo who will no doubt on Friday morning have thousands of tickets on sale from whichever artist has sold on, all at double the original price.

it's feckin' laughable that people think that saying "we're encouraging people to deal with touts to reduce touting" makes them look like they have integrity.

They might as well be saying "we're buggering little boys to help reduce paedophilia".

[zahidf]

it's feckin' laughable that people think that saying "we're encouraging people to deal with touts to reduce touting" makes them look like they have integrity.

They might as well be saying "we're buggering little boys to help reduce paedophilia".

[eFestivals]

Well, that's Melvin Benn's line i believe whenever someone asks him about Latitude and Reading's connection with the 'official touting' sites.

The first sentence, not the paedophilia one obviously.

Which only gets to show that Melvin isn't adverse to talking absolutely laughable and worthless bollocks when it suits him.

[NeilVJ]

There was a very good article on website on local festivals I had read (I will post link if allowed to Neil?) which had heavily criticised the whol resale site policy whilst praising the efforts made by sites like Glastonbury. Melvin Benn had said the local police had banned touts from the Reading area (no mention of how they got the tickets in the first place tho)

[NeilVJ]

it's quite difficult to think of a better way of putting it

[rug568]

The best thing about Reading struggling to sell out this year was the affect on touts.

My friend got one for £120

[eFestivals]

fighting for peace, fucking for virginity.

[5co77ie]

Has anyone seen this?

http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2012/120128ticketmaster

[Pinhead]

ffs - if they are just going to start dynamically pricing tickets based on demand for popular artists than every gig will just be full up with rich kids everyone else having been priced out. Might as well just bid for them all in the end. Really dirty business as well getting people to bite through the main ticket site just to assess demand, then shunt everyone onto a markup site (often run by the same agency), that implies that these are the last tickets remaining for the gig and so should cost more. Would have thought OFT and TDA would feel that this was not 'in the spirit' of current legislation tbh.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

is there nothing that can't be bought and/or sold for money anymore?

This is probably already known to most (but wasn't to me) - I was talking to a friend recently who gives his son an allowance per month to buy things in an on line 'reality' world. So the kid buys a pair of Levi's for his avatar so that he can look good. Now he wants to buy a car to impress the girls. This is incredible - people paying real money for something that doesn't actually exist! Genius.

[LondonTom]

Gigs will really soon be full of rich kids only if they get their way and keep this up.

For instance Ladyhawke tickets. YES THATS RIGHT THAT INCREDIBLE ARTIST KNOWN AS LADYHAWKE!!!!....at Shepard's Bush standing sold out in an hour. ..Already on tout sites for 50 quid...50 smackers to see ladyhawke!!!

[Spindles]

every gig will just be full up with rich kids everyone else having been priced out.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I'm going to say it again and until I'm blue in the face, Glastonbury isn't simply about music. That's just one of the arts on offer, albeit, large proportionately speaking.

I agree though - last year was the first time I'd gone in a few years and I didn't recognise the clientele. Not just because they were younger but because they were evidently more middle class ,although probably less refined than the festival attendees I was used to. I have nothing per se against the middle class, it's just that they don't bring a lot to the table as far as the festival experience goes. I don't know what it is, but it aint there.

[gooner1990]

I have nothing per se against the middle class, it's just that they don't bring a lot to the table as far as the festival experience goes. I don't know what it is, but it aint there.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Hello gooner1990.

This one has been discussed already at great length on here. It would seem to be different things to different people. I could well be defined as middle class myself as I've had a good education, I've got money. I don't define myself as middle class though because I know I had to work manually to get where I am today. Freezing winters, rotten conditions etc (blah, blah!). I guess my stance is probably along the lines of somebody who doesn't have to do that to be within a certain income bracket. But then again, I know very little about class. I've not studied it. I refer to the people I saw as middle class because they fitted this bill or at least I'm sure their parents did.

I have no class act to grind. I guess I'm trying to say that a lot of those around me appeared vacuous. Not that I was firing on all cylinders!

[Keef]

Tomorrow night (Thurs 23rd Feb) Channel 4's Dispatches is investigating ticket resellers, will be worth a look I think.

Dispatches: The Great Ticket Scandal

Fans queuing for hours to buy tickets get turned away empty handed while tickets for the same 'sold out' events appear online shortly afterwards, sometimes at astronomical prices.

Channel 4 News correspondent Morland Sanders investigates the multi-million-pound world of online ticket reselling where fans desperate not to miss out on in-demand concerts, festivals and sporting events often buy their tickets.

Leading 'fan-to-fan' ticket exchange websites say they allow 'real fans' to sell on tickets they can no longer use.

Dispatches sent reporters undercover inside two major 'fan-to-fan' ticket exchange websites to investigate who is selling via their websites and why so many tickets appear at over the face value so soon after the box office sells out.

Join in the discussion on Twitter using #TicketScandal.

[neilloggie]

What defines middle class?

[glasto-worker]

Tomorrow night (Thurs 23rd Feb) Channel 4's Dispatches is investigating ticket resellers, will be worth a look I think.

Dispatches: The Great Ticket Scandal

[eFestivals]

At the end of the day the Government has to sort out this mess.

if they do then they better not play the promoters poodle which is what the promoters have asked for.

I'd rather touts than the govt pass laws which ring-fence the current large players position. At least touts can be avoided, legislation to ring fence the big players would effect everyone.

[Bisque]

If Glasto is middle class, then I guess its not a terrible thing. Crime & violence/per head, reported or not, I will imagine is a lot less than V & R&L back in the day. Festivals are starting to price themselves out of some peoples reach now too.

There's still plenty of hippies around as well. I would hate for Glasto to become a like Reading & V, everyone is so friendly, usually willing to chat to strangers with stories & experiences to tell, tis why I love it so.

[markeee]

If Glasto is middle class, then I guess its not a terrible thing. Crime & violence/per head, reported or not, I will imagine is a lot less than V & R&L back in the day. Festivals are starting to price themselves out of some peoples reach now too.

There's still plenty of hippies around as well. I would hate for Glasto to become a like Reading & V, everyone is so friendly, usually willing to chat to strangers with stories & experiences to tell, tis why I love it so.