Ticket touts

[armsfc]

Im sure every music lover at some point in their life has seen or had a run in with touts, its plagued gigs and festivals for years!

Im currently carrying out a project on the secondary ticket market and how the internet has impacted it.

If you dont mind filling in this survey, it takes 2 minutes and is only 10 questions long. Much appreicated.

Thanks.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/C2Q8K92

[kaosmark2]

Filled it out, but as a note, I do buy from the secondary ticket market, online, via ebay, forums, social media and from touts outside the venue, but never pay over face value. I feel your survey might benefit from having information about people looking at buying at or under.

[russycarps]

I did it, but I'm not sure the results are going to be particularly revelatory.

It would be more interesting to ask how many people have actually sold a ticket, ie been tempted to become a tout themselves, given how simple it is to do so online.

Don't thank me,

[kaosmark2]

It would be more interesting to ask how many people have actually sold a ticket, ie been tempted to become a tout themselves, given how simple it is to do so online.

[russycarps]

I agree, but you wouldn't really get a representative market here, considering that most of the forum regulars have a wholly unsympathetic attitude towards touting.

[t8yman]

I agree, but you wouldn't really get a representative market here, considering that most of the forum regulars have a wholly unsympathetic attitude towards touting.

[LondonTom]

Done it but yeah I am not really sure your going find out much more than typing "Tout scum" into google tbh.

[russycarps]

I disagree, touting is OK in my book. Scalping is another.

The more recently evolving "legitimate secondary ticket resellers" such as getmein, that are owned and operated by the primary ticket sellers ticketmaster - are abhorrent imho.

[kaosmark2]

I view any markup as touting

[mrtourette]

I view any markup as touting

[kaosmark2]

I think that's the key, the difference betwen simply re-selling and making a profit out of it.

[zero000]

Buying off a tout for under face value is always good fun, I love having a good haggle with those scumbags!

[russycarps]

I think that's the key, the difference betwen simply re-selling and making a profit out of it.

[armsfc]

I did it, but I'm not sure the results are going to be particularly revelatory.

It would be more interesting to ask how many people have actually sold a ticket, ie been tempted to become a tout themselves, given how simple it is to do so online.

Don't thank me,

[MissC]

Regarding your question

4. Have you ever witnessed people selling tickets for an event outside the venue, for a price above the face value?

My answer would be No, but that's because in my experience the touts I walk past don't shout out their prices. I have never tried to buy a ticket outside a venue so actually no idea if the price was above or below the face value.

[jump]

I'm surprised no one had mentioned in the forum that Ebay no longer allows people to sell tixs as they have set up their own tour site Stubhub.

[t8yman]

And stubhub is the biggest ripoff going. Its owned by eBay as you say. They add fees up front, so a £20 ticket for example becomes £28 in the listing, then they subtract their commision at the other end, you dont get paid until 5-8 days after the gig, and they only pay you via paypal (which is owned by ebay) so when you want to withdraw from paypal, you get charged again. They get paid 3 times, you get robbed.

£28 ticket is listed on their site at £33, then they take their commision, and pay you £24.60

Edited February 18, 2014 by t8yman

[eFestivals]

when you want to withdraw from paypal, you get charged again.

that's not correct.

Withdrawals from PayPal are free, or at least they are and always have been for me.

[Paul ™]

Yeah you don't get charged for withdrawing funds on Paypal.

Stubhub do charge the buyer and seller a fee, but in the example you posted, you pay a £3.40 fee for the listing.

They also include postage in this, which is sent by UPS at no extra cost to you. You don't get the funds till later as they do protect the buyer to ensure the tickets have been received.

While it is touting, it's a safe way to do it compared to other sites.

[t8yman]

I stand corrected on the paypal thing.

But in the example I posted, they are selling the ticket for £33, and paying you £24.60.

[russycarps]

And stubhub is the biggest ripoff going. Its owned by eBay as you say. They add fees up front, so a £20 ticket for example becomes £28 in the listing, then they subtract their commision at the other end, you dont get paid until 5-8 days after the gig, and they only pay you via paypal (which is owned by ebay) so when you want to withdraw from paypal, you get charged again. They get paid 3 times, you get robbed.

£28 ticket is listed on their site at £33, then they take their commision, and pay you £24.60

[jump]

For anyone intrested there's a twitter feed for people trying to resale face value tixs.

https://twitter.com/twickets

[Paul ™]

you seem to know a lot about the specifics of this website, you've actually used it?!

Edited February 18, 2014 by Paul ™

[t8yman]

I dont see where I have given the indication that I sell a lot of tickets?

Up until about 4 years or so ago, I used to organise all of the gig trips for me and the boys, and inevitably you end up with people dropping out and tickets going spare. I often used to sell outside the venue at face value, but I have also given away tickets for nothing just to piss the touts off. I remember being at Birmingham academy to see Funeral For A Friend, it was sold out and I had a spare, the touts were trying to sell this girl one for silly money. I was watching and listening. I watched her trying to plead with him to be reasonable, he was having none of it, so I walked up and gave her my spare for nowt. Gave me a nice warm feeling inside for the night. Until there was a bomb scare, and the entire city centre had to be evacuated 15 minutes after the band hit the stage.

[russycarps]

I've never not been able to shift a ticket on gumtree. There is no need to use these other robbing twats whatsoever, apart from pure greed.

Every time you use seatwave and the like, the less likely it is that they will ever disappear. They justify their existence by pointing to how many people are using them.

You people are part of the problem, and therefore can only be considered tout scum.