Even 250 scalpers are too much as far as I’m concerned … especially if they’re reselling tickets for upwards of 8x face value. I’m not sure any of us really knows the true extent of the “after market” … which has apparently become more of a presence at the point of sale (generally speaking - see article below). I think we’re only guessing at this point, but some good guesses would have it that wherever there’s a high demand limited supply marketplace, scalpers are absolutely sure to be present. One can’t just “talk this away” as being a non issue.
The more I consider this issue in general, the more I’m coming to the conclusion that both event promoters and ticketing entities have a responsibility to mitigate at least certain varieties of scalpers and in some cases ought to be compelled to adopt the most stringent measures against such practices. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that online ticketing is basically in it’s “infancy” in a certain sense. I don’t believe Dave at the Music Store would ever allow himself to be put in a headlock by a scalper while the perpetrator’s partner started ringing up dozens of ticket sales for the tag team, while the line of event goers were stuck in line waiting to buy tickets. In other words, we’re quick to squelch some things which go down in “real life” as being completely unacceptable … yet somehow we’re more quick to accept (defeat) in the online/virtual world.
Again, this is mostly a general comment/rant about the whole scalping situation related to online ticket sales. The Springsteen article/blog entry kind of jarred me on this disparity of perception. What gets me is that many promoters & ticketing agencies are aware of how the internet has accelerated the presence of organized/sophisticated scalping, but aren’t necessarily willing to take the necessary measures to mitigate such.
With respect to the TBF, I’m now convinced that as long as we’re going to be facing high demand with limited supply that there’s got to be something more aggressive inserted in the process if it’s going to have any impact.
As much as I personally try to avoid will call at all costs, I’d be very much in favor of having a system in place such as there was with the Phish shows in Telluride … where you had to have your credit card present to get your wristband placed directly on your wrist prior to show (could even be the day prior). Moreover, I’d be wiling to pay an additional $1+ per ticket (or whatever) to fund such a program. I also think that if PG were to adopt such a program across the board (for all of their events) it might serve as an example to the larger industry of a viable model to put the kabash on scalping.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/01/springsteen_ticketmaster_scalp.html
Bruce Springsteen fan Bill Dame knew something was wrong yesterday when his four computers were frozen for two hours by a “Your wait time is 15 minutes” message on the Ticketmaster website.
The Howell resident was using two desktops, an iPad and a laptop to buy tickets to Springsteen’s upcoming concerts at the Izod Center in East Rutherford.
“They were blinking, almost like there was an electric short in the house,” Dame, 59, said. “After an hour and 45 minutes, my wife got an error message. Something definitely was different.”
Ticketmaster said its website was attacked by scalpers using sophisticated computer programs that generated 2.5 times the traffic it had seen for any major sale during the last year.
“Big acts mean big fan interest. Unfortunately this also means that scalpers are out in full force,” Ticketmaster said in a statement. “Scalpers were using sophisticated computer programs to assault our systems and secure tickets with the sole intention of selling them in the resale market.”
The attack on Ticketmaster.com interfered with the sale of tickets to the April 3 and April 4 concerts at Izod and the May 2 show at the Prudential Center in Newark, part of the first leg of Springsteen’s upcoming “Wrecking Ball” tour.
"We anticipate and prepare for volume, but what we experienced today was a highly suspicious source of traffic, and there was exponentially more traffic than other similar days with major ‘onsales,’ " Ticketmaster spokeswoman Jacqueline Peterson said.
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8th Dist.) said consumers need to be protected from scalpers using high-speed computers.
“We’ve got to take a very, very careful look at the use of high-tech computer programs. While many fans were unable to get tickets today, many brokers were able to get their hands on good seats … and put them up on secondary ticket sellers’ websites,” said Pascrell, who will re-introduce federal legislation to improve oversight of the ticket industry.
The sophisticated programs, known as “bots,” outwit online ticketing services restrictions on the number of tickets an individual can buy to a specific concert. By flooding the ticketing service at the start of the so-called onsale, the programs essentially block out consumers and buy up the inventory at lightning speed.
Minutes after yesterday’s sales began, thousands of the $98 tickets — which cost $114 once service fees were added — were listed at prices up to $6,600 on multiple secondary market websites.
“It’s so unfair and so frustrating,” Marla Carleen said. “You know that these tickets are being siphoned off, somehow, some way.”
Carleen, 55, of New Providence, wanted to buy tickets for herself and her three teenage daughters.
“How is it possible that in one or two minutes the venue is sold out?” Carleen asked, echoing the disbelief of many Springsteen fans. “It’s not possible unless someone is doing something with these tickets.”
Springsteen acknowledged the problem on his website, brucespringsteen.net.
“We know that many of you have been having trouble getting tickets on this morning’s on-sales,” the statement said. It was followed by an early explanation from Ticketmaster, the world’s largest ticketing service.
The three New Jersey concerts are part of the 19-date tour that kicks off March 18 in Atlanta in support of Springsteen’s 17th studio album, “Wrecking Ball,” which goes on sale March 6. Springsteen and the band then head to Europe for 32 performances through July 31.
Tickets to the April 6 and April 9 shows at Madison Square Garden also went on sale yesterday, but Peterson said the website’s issues were fixed by then. Tickets for concerts in Tampa, Fla.; Boston; Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; Detroit; Buffalo, N.Y.; Albany, N.Y.; and Cleveland go on sale today.
