How is this not ticket touting?

[severnside gull]

Touting on the streets is banned and if you stood outside the venue and tried to sell your ticket even at face value you would be quickly moved on by the hired muscle.

But if the online companies who are happy to buy tickets for every event want to double their money it is okay.
Legalised theft or is it just that the police have no interest as it is only Joe Public who are complaining?

 

[dadams2k11]

Slightly of topic, I'm here at work bored and looking for and Album to listen to and now i know which one. Back To Front (1992) Thanks.

 

[sneakychef]

To be honest it's pretty horrendous that they are charging £75 in the first place to see Lionel Ritchie...

 

[The Andy Naylor Fan Club]

I have just ordered 2 tickets for the wife ( cough ) via O2 Priority moments. Two tickets at face value £65 each and only ( I say only because I was expecting more charges ) £22.75 with postage.

 

[Driver8]

Perhaps a solution would be to have a fixed number of tickets (say 5%} for popular gigs available via eBay type auction sales with the rest on sale to everyone else. Then ban touting. That should keep the "free market" people happy and everyone knows where they stand.

 

[middletoenail]

When i was a teenager I use to be a tout and I did it all via eBay. It paid for numerous holidays and social activities, but what did stop me was the guilt!

 

[virtual22]

Everybody hates it and moans about it but the vast majority still go ahead and buy them - that there's the problem. No need for an investigation or anything, if people just stopped buying them for three months or so and these companies are left with half empty stadiums and a shed load of tickets on their hands not sold the practice would soon change. Problem is we have no collective will to change anything.

 

[jimhigham]

I won't use Getmein, Seat Wave, Viagogo, See or Ticket Master because they are all price gouging wretches.

I will get tickets from Gigsandtours, Ticketweb, occasionally directly through Songkick or We Got Tickets for really small shows. All of these seem to have fairly reasonable fees and are fairly transparent about them during the booking process (especially Songkick). They mostly still use the old chestnut of making you pay to print your own ticket though. Why? You're the one incurring the cost in paper and ink. There should be a law against that. I always tend to ask for a ticket, just to make them do some work.

We Got Tickets deal In gigs so small they usually just mail you a reference number and you give your name at the door. I love those.

 

[Pintos]

I won't use Getmein, Seat Wave, Viagogo, See or Ticket Master because they are all price gouging wretches.

I will get tickets from Gigsandtours, Ticketweb, occasionally directly through Songkick or We Got Tickets for really small shows. All of these seem to have fairly reasonable fees and are fairly transparent about them during the booking process (especially Songkick). They mostly still use the old chestnut of making you pay to print your own ticket though. Why? You're the one incurring the cost in paper and ink. There should be a law against that. I always tend to ask for a ticket, just to make them do some work.

We Got Tickets deal In gigs so small they usually just mail you a reference number and you give your name at the door. I love those.

I think GigsandTours is the same as Seetickets but agree with the your conclusions generally. Ticketweb is owned by Ticketmaster but seems to conduct itself fairly well.

 

[Pintos]

Dispatches programme exposing this a few years back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afzcm6tlG4A

If you think individuals touting tickets is bad, then how do you feel about ticket agencies and re-sale sites colluding so that the best seats never go on general sale?

 

[jimhigham]

I think GigsandTours is the same as Seetickets but agree with the your conclusions generally. Ticketweb is owned by Ticketmaster but seems to conduct itself fairly well.

Agreed. The ownership issue leaves a bit of a sour taste but if I excluded those two I'd pretty much be down to gigs above pubs.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

providing a 'Service' which actually isn't required and charging others for the privilege.

This is what gets me. The country is full of agents, services and middle-men getting in the way of all manner of items.

 

[beorhthelm]

and yet people keep paying the original ticket prices, the inflated ticket prices and the booking fees. so they must believe the shows have that value.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

and yet people keep paying the original ticket prices, the inflated ticket prices and the booking fees. so they must believe the shows have that value.

I'm sure they do. But it depends how you value the arts. If you just want it accessible to the wealthy than carry on down this road. If you believe it has non-monetry value then we need to do something. I believe in the latter.

 

[seagully]

An interesting article on this topic (and Ticketmaster in general)

http://www.trustmeimascientist.com/2013/11/04/an-inconvenient-fee-the-legacy-of-pearl-jam-vs-ticketmaster/

 

[Billy the Fish]

I'm sure they do. But it depends how you value the arts. If you just want it accessible to the wealthy than carry on down this road. If you believe it has non-monetry value then we need to do something. I believe in the latter.

But would the artists want to take a pay cut on what they earn from a tour?
I'm sure if he really wanted Lionel could make sure tickets to his shows were more affordable to the masses

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

But would the artists want to take a pay cut on what they earn from a tour?
I'm sure if he really wanted Lionel could make sure tickets to his shows were more affordable to the masses

This thread is about the secondary market. They don't make a money from this.

 

[narly101]

This thread is about the secondary market. They don't make a money from this.

Yes they do. Ticketmaster work with the artists to hold back a percentage of tickets for the secondary market and share the profits with the artists.

 

[narly101]

Take a gander at this.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/inside-ticketmasters-new-scalping-plan-20130913

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Yes they do. Ticketmaster work with the artists to hold back a percentage of tickets for the secondary market and share the profits with the artists.

Is this the case? I know LiveNation double as a promoter so in theory they could, but do Ticketmaster really do as you suggest and go beyond their realm as a ticket agent?