Michigan's Adventure,... Ticket price increase.

As far as I know ticket scalping is not legal. But, it might depend on what state you live in. The point of my concert post had nothing to do with the price of the tickets. It had to do with Elton John's and Billy Joel's consideration for their fans. Saying NO to greed on their behalf, rather than allowing the ticket brokers or scalpers to take advantage of their fans.

The post about Billy Joel's caontract with the arena, is kind of pointless. I never said he had a contract with the arena. I said he found out how much the arena wanted to charge for the tickets, and told them to go f themselves. Though he had planned to perform there.

This is also related to parks, as there have been several stories about ticket scalpers being arrested for selling park tickets to theme parks. Some buying tickets at a group rate, and then selling those tickets to make a profit. My friend David bought Great America tickets from a scalper right in the parking lot of Great America.

If I recall there are also stories of families hiring a handicapped person to go with their family to the parks, so they can cut in line. Among other tricks, which the parks are trying to prohibit. I would think, as long as they are paying to get in, it shouldn't be a problem. But, people on this board agree that those things are wrong. So why not agree with the other?

Timber-Rider said:

As far as I know ticket scalping is not legal. But, it might depend on what state you live in.

https://seatgeek.com/tba/articles/ticket-resale-laws/

"A 1931 law in Michigan (Michigan Compiled Laws § 750.465) makes it illegal to resell a ticket above its face value price without the written consent of the event operator and venue operator. According to that same law, it is illegal to resell season tickets if they have the ticket holder’s name on them and the tickets state they are non-transferable."

Timber-Rider said:

I said he found out how much the arena wanted to charge for the tickets, and told them to go f themselves. Though he had planned to perform there.

Stars don't "find out" how much venues want to charge for tickets. Stars and venues sign contracts that specify how much tickets will cost (among, of course, many other things).

Now, if what you're trying to say is that negotiations broke down between Joel's team and the venue, that's different. I don't think Joel told anyone to "f" themselves. They couldn't agree on terms. Deal didn't happen.

You're trying to reason with someone who thinks that capital expenditures should be "fair" among parks.

Why won't you just die, horse?!

T-R, isn't your friend David just as guilty for patronizing as the scalper is for selling?

My seat for Bette Midler happens to be in Michigan at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Like I said, I went through a ticket resale site, so how does that work? Is the arena authorizing ticket holders to turn them back in and sell them at whatever price they see fit? So my seats were, say 180, which may or may not be face value. There were seats at 1500 bucks which I'm sure is well above.

It seems in reselling our OSU seats the site we use is authorized by the University. So maybe they'd prefer we all go to that authorized site in order to discourage unscrupulous scalping of tickets. And a way to keep it safe and guaranteed for everyone while essentially skirting scalping laws.

I don't know. Oh, Slith? Mike Gallagher? As theater/box office workers do you have any knowledge of this practice?

Here in Gainesville, back when Urban Meyer was winning championships for us, people found ways to get around scalping laws. Sell a #2 pencil for 250 bucks, and get 2 free tickets to the UF/FSU annual dust-up.

Laws in opposition to commerce, whether it's game tickets, drugs, sex, or even blue laws....they're predictably unenforceable.

Many sellers, venues and organizations have entire systems dedicated to the resale of tickets.

Seriously, 'scalping tickets'? Is this 1982?

RCMAC said:

My seat for Bette Midler happens to be in Michigan at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

That's about where I'd want my seat to be for Bette Midler, too...for her DC show.

*ducks*

A quick scan of upcoming Billy Joel shows on Ticketmaster tells me he's not feeling all that philanthropic outside of the Grand Rapids area these days.

Vader would rather see Bette Midler "From a Distance."

Lord Gonchar said:

Seriously, 'scalping tickets'? Is this 1982?

Sonny, kindly step off the lawn....thanks.

;~P

Jeff: I know. When it comes to T-R, it's more about entertaining myself than attempting to reason with him.

Reselling tickets:

In Illinois, as long as a reseller includes a statement on their website/in their ads that they are reselling tickets and that prices "may be above face value", it's a legal sale.

Big picture, I have no problem with it. If I have what you want, and you're willing to pay what I'm asking, everyone wins. (If you later learn I spent $50 buying it and sold it to you for $300, well, caveat emptor.)

And as Lord Gonchar notes, many companies have their very own resale operations. Even Ticketmaster, with its TicketExchange site: "the resale marketplace you can trust," "sold by fans, verified by Ticketmaster."

That said, there's many a day at work when I want to hunt down one of our known scalpers and shake them vigorously. They got their money. I got the customer at the window who's angry because they paid $200 for their two tickets and the tickets for their obstructed view balcony seats has the actual price on them: $49. And I sadly can't point out to them that they were dumb enough to think our show's official website would be seatsinthecity.com.

(I probably shouldn't mention the show by name in a post on this sort of issue... let's just say it's a show about a group of men who are blue.)

Vater said:

That's about where I'd want my seat to be for Bette Midler, too...for her DC show.

*ducks*

Did you ever know that you're my hero? Seriously, you are everything that I wish I could be.

You are, seriously, the wind beneath my wings.

Fly away. And make sure you don't quite hit the high note while you do so.

Love ya, guys. Cause as we all know,

OH YA GOT TA HAVE, FREEEEIIIINDS.

You got to have friends to make that day last long.

I haven't been to a concert in years, but I recently bought tickets to U2 and ticketmaster basically said you had to bring a photo ID and the credit card to the gate in order to get into the arena, presumably to discourage secondary market sales. That said, there are lots and lots of tickets on the secondary market anyway, so....<shrug>.

Which is really odd as Ticketmaster has the entire Ticketmaster Exchange to facilitate secondary sales.

One of the questions in the FAQs even confirms that reselling Credit Card Entry Tickets is an option.

I suppose they just don't want you reselling them on someone else's secondary marketplace. :)

Having worked for Ticketmaster....

....yes, TicketExchange exists (in no small part) to ensure that Ticketmaster enjoys additional profit on the ticket(s) it initially sold you.