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Green Lady

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grzegorz67

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Stoneage
Okey, Grzegorz. But ticket scalping works like the stock market. You buy shares, holds on to them for a while and then sell them on. To either a gain or a loss. No one is complaining about the stock market...

A ridiculous and invalid analogy. Everyone who buys and sells on the stockmarket is free to buy and sell at a time of their choosing, in trading hours.

By use of complex algorithms and other underhand tactics, the ticket touts are obstructing those who want to actually consume the service offered i.e. a concert. They are interfering and providing nothing of any value whatsoever themselves. Parasites.

The laws of supply and demand ought to apply - except that the touts are artificially restricting the supply, by the use of various devices to obtain a lot of tickets which Joe Public never gets any opportunity to buy from the authorised seller at the original price. This, and not resale as such, is my real objection to industrial scale ticket-scalping.

Anyway, it looks as if Ticketmaster might have plans to do a bit more in-house scalping: see the description of the Platinum service and dynamic pricing in this article:

[www.theguardian.com]

Actually the primary market often restricts supply and structures the initial onsale in a way to dupe the consumer into panic buying mediocre tickets that may be harder to move later on at full face value.

And the bot thing is ridiculously overblown. The thing about brokers is they know more about events and sales patterns from buying all the time as opposed to someone going to one or two events a year. The same advantages the hardcore concert goers here possess.

Ticketmaster announces UK's first 100pc digitally ticketed event as they clamp down on illegal touts

[www.telegraph.co.uk]

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rara
Ticketmaster announces UK's first 100pc digitally ticketed event as they clamp down on illegal touts

[www.telegraph.co.uk]

Interesting.
One concern over the eventuality of all digital tickets tied to purchasers mobile devices is the loss of the ability to purchase reduced tickets, not the high priced ones. I haven't bought an overpriced ticket from a scalper(tout?) since the eighties, but have bought many reduced last minute tickets regularly over the years since then.

The plus side as far as I can determine is the availability of most all the tickets when they go on sale. Realistically it more likely means more "package" deals for the high demand events, with the promoters continuing to assume the role of the scalpers, selling off the unsold tickets from them at higher prices as the event approaches.

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MisterDDDD

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rara
Ticketmaster announces UK's first 100pc digitally ticketed event as they clamp down on illegal touts

[www.telegraph.co.uk]

Interesting.
One concern over the eventuality of all digital tickets tied to purchasers mobile devices is the loss of the ability to purchase reduced tickets, not the high priced ones. I haven't bought an overpriced ticket from a scalper(tout?) since the eighties, but have bought many reduced last minute tickets regularly over the years since then.

The plus side as far as I can determine is the availability of most all the tickets when they go on sale. Realistically it more likely means more "package" deals for the high demand events, with the promoters continuing to assume the role of the scalpers, selling off the unsold tickets from them at higher prices as the event approaches.

Most of us (or at least those of us that think like me) want exactly THAT ! Namely; that the very moment tickets go on sale, the majority of the f***ing things are actually available to people who (heaven forbid) wish to attend the event, and not simply scoop up what they perceive as a mere commodity that ends up within the proverbial 5 minutes on one or the other of the secondary sites - at an obscenely inflated price needless to say. If this means the end of paper tickets for ever, then f**k it - so be it. If it also means you're now forever tied to your bloody smartphone, more so than you could ever possibly have imagined earlier in your life ... then that moment is possibly now truly upon us. Whatever next ?

The public and (to some extent) some sectors of the live music industry have been screaming for ages now for a shake-up of the industry to curb these absurd secondary market 'excesses' and eradicate as much as possible all wanton deceit and malpractice that comes with this market - the likes of which Viagogo exemplify

They'll be next to go. They won't go willingly of course, but they'll go ... I am reasonably confident that one way or the other, the end actually IS in sight for them now. Good f***ing riddance !

[ I want to shout, but I can hardly speak ]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-08-24 20:06 by paulywaul.

....just have to hope your phone battery doesn't run out as you approach the venue....

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Manofwealthandtaste
....just have to hope your phone battery doesn't run out as you approach the venue....

Indeed so Mr Chris ! Ah yes, the 'o s**t - I forgot to charge my phone and it's about to die' syndrome !! Not good, as you're standing there waiting for your e-ticket to be scanned !! Not good at all !! Aaaaaaaaaaagh yelp !!

[ I want to shout, but I can hardly speak ]

What about the poor ticket scalpers then? How are they going to support themselves if we put them out of market? They need bread on the table too. Who are we to deny them that?

what do i need a phone to attend a concert?

Life's just a cocktail party on the street

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Manofwealthandtaste
....just have to hope your phone battery doesn't run out as you approach the venue....

I got bigger problems than that..my phone doesn't have email in order to download the 'ticket' to..
Will they accept my laptop... But wait, what if the battery on that runs out

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Stoneage
What about the poor ticket scalpers then? How are they going to support themselves if we put them out of market? They need bread on the table too. Who are we to deny them that?

Well, maybe, just maybe, they can get up off their fat lazy but expensively clothed arses and learn a skill or profession like everyone else who earns an honest crust? A lot better than sponging off the efforts of others, in their case the artists who write and perform the music and the organisers and event staff. Ticket touts produce NOTHING. They are parasites. Simples.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-08-24 22:12 by grzegorz67.

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grzegorz67

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Stoneage
What about the poor ticket scalpers then? How are they going to support themselves if we put them out of market? They need bread on the table too. Who are we to deny them that?

Well, maybe, just maybe, they can get up off their fat lazy but expensively clothed arses and learn a skill or profession like everyone else who earns an honest crust? A lot better than sponging off the efforts of others, in their case the artists who write and perform the music and the organisers and event staff. Ticket touts produce NOTHING. They are parasites. Simples.

I thought they were the oil that made the machinery work. Like bribes in the construction business, blanking in the stock market, protection money for the mob, or payola in commercial radio.
A world without corruption? Never heard of it...

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MononoM
what do i need a phone to attend a concert?

Some shows only allow a mobile option now.

Fascinating podcast interview with a ticket broker.


[davewakeman.libsyn.com]

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undertheradar

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Manofwealthandtaste
....just have to hope your phone battery doesn't run out as you approach the venue....

I got bigger problems than that..my phone doesn't have email in order to download the 'ticket' to..
Will they accept my laptop... But wait, what if the battery on that runs out

Ya, I was in a foreign country having to print my digital link that was FINALLY sent to me hours earlier while at the airport/ therefore only my mobile phone w/ an ancient email account/ didn’t remember password/ doesn’t send out emails.
Was very clear: Do Not Show without this link printed out beforehand.
Good times, me a complete no slept wreck @ the little Twick copy store praying to the gods I can finagle the ticket to print.
I did. But it was dicey.

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35love

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undertheradar

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Manofwealthandtaste
....just have to hope your phone battery doesn't run out as you approach the venue....

I got bigger problems than that..my phone doesn't have email in order to download the 'ticket' to..
Will they accept my laptop... But wait, what if the battery on that runs out

Ya, I was in a foreign country having to print my digital link that was FINALLY sent to me hours earlier while at the airport/ therefore only my mobile phone w/ an ancient email account/ didn’t remember password/ doesn’t send out emails.
Was very clear: Do Not Show without this link printed out beforehand.
Good times, me a complete no slept wreck @ the little Twick copy store praying to the gods I can finagle the ticket to print.
I did. But it was dicey.

A lot of places now have ticket resolution representatives and can often pull your order and print your ticket but if there are thousands of geezers who can't figure this stuff out showing up then you might be lucky to make it in in time for Keith's set.

The moral of my story was
if I ever went to another concert
I would only buy the ticket with PRINT RIGHT NOW
after purchase. No way am I going through this again, I told myself.

So now from this thread I’ve read either
Facial Recognition or
Digital code sent to your phone, need said phone to display code at entrance/cannot be transferred.

Well, guess we’ll have to see what shakes out Spring 2019.

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Dan

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35love

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undertheradar

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Manofwealthandtaste
....just have to hope your phone battery doesn't run out as you approach the venue....

I got bigger problems than that..my phone doesn't have email in order to download the 'ticket' to..
Will they accept my laptop... But wait, what if the battery on that runs out

Ya, I was in a foreign country having to print my digital link that was FINALLY sent to me hours earlier while at the airport/ therefore only my mobile phone w/ an ancient email account/ didn’t remember password/ doesn’t send out emails.
Was very clear: Do Not Show without this link printed out beforehand.
Good times, me a complete no slept wreck @ the little Twick copy store praying to the gods I can finagle the ticket to print.
I did. But it was dicey.

A lot of places now have ticket resolution representatives and can often pull your order and print your ticket but if there are thousands of geezers who can't figure this stuff out showing up then you might be lucky to make it in in time for Keith's set.

Old geezers lol

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Dan

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35love

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undertheradar

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Manofwealthandtaste
....just have to hope your phone battery doesn't run out as you approach the venue....

I got bigger problems than that..my phone doesn't have email in order to download the 'ticket' to..
Will they accept my laptop... But wait, what if the battery on that runs out

Ya, I was in a foreign country having to print my digital link that was FINALLY sent to me hours earlier while at the airport/ therefore only my mobile phone w/ an ancient email account/ didn’t remember password/ doesn’t send out emails.
Was very clear: Do Not Show without this link printed out beforehand.
Good times, me a complete no slept wreck @ the little Twick copy store praying to the gods I can finagle the ticket to print.
I did. But it was dicey.

A lot of places now have ticket resolution representatives and can often pull your order and print your ticket but if there are thousands of geezers who can't figure this stuff out showing up then you might be lucky to make it in in time for Keith's set.

P.S.
I DID have it figured out Ticketmaster MF’ers (that okay Bjornulf?)
Promised me USA mail delivery.
They did not hold up their end of our purchase contract.

ETA: Mr. DDDD (Mike) if you’re there just had a good laugh remembering you behind me at the Twick turnstile without a printed ticket but maybe we weren’t sure 2 hours in the sun hilarious now but who knew bet you’re another who will always print your own RIGHT AFTER PURCHASE
I remember it you swiped 1st it didn't go thru I thought oh Lord
I am laughing



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2018-08-25 04:26 by 35love.

[www.theguardian.com]

[ I want to shout, but I can hardly speak ]

Laughing about it (now) as well, Sarah.
I go to all the trouble and stress of figuring out where and how to print the ticket, get it printed in full page, and was too big for the scanner to read.

Then they scan the e-ticket on the phone, and bingo- after repeatedly warning they can't scan the phones. For that split moment at the turnstile, I think me, you and the ticket taker could clearly see with all that I had I was not going to turn back..

Is Viagogo one of the worst businesses in Britain?

Secondary ticketing site faces investigation after criticism of its sky-high mark-ups

What is Viagogo?

Viagogo was founded by Eric Baker, a Harvard graduate from a wealthy business dynasty, who had previously set up another ticketing firm, StubHub.

He and StubHub’s co-founder Jeff Fluhr had hit upon the idea of creating a platform to allow people with tickets to a concert or event to sell them on – an industry now known as secondary ticketing. Baker became a multimillionaire when StubHub was sold to eBay for £225m in 2007, although by that time he had left the business after a bitter falling out with Fluhr.

In the ensuing years he set about creating a European rival to his former firm, which he named Viagogo. He based the company in Geneva, Switzerland, although he owns it via Pugnacious Endeavors, which is based in the US state of Delaware, a business location synonymous with financial secrecy.

Who owns it?

During Viagogo’s early years, Baker succeeded in attracting financial backing from several wealthy and high-profile investors.

Early backers include the tennis couple Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi; the financier Jacob Rothschild; Bernard Arnault, the billionaire chief executive of the luxury firm Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy; Herbert Kloiber, a German media mogul; and the London-based investment firm Index Ventures.

A fundraising round in 2009 valued the company at $300m (£225m), and its value is thought to have grown significantly since then.

Where is it based?

Viagogo has an office on London’s Fenchurch Street, but its headquarters are in Switzerland. That means its financial accounts are not publicly available. It has been reluctant to comment on the string of allegations levelled against it.

Why has it become so controversial?

In recent years it has faced criticism over sky-high mark-ups applied to tickets on its platform, not to mention its attitude towards consumer law, advertising regulations and customer service.

The site has also been overrun by professional touts who use it to sell tickets they have harvested in bulk elsewhere, often at the expense of fans.

Several companies have cut ties with the business in the light of its reputational problems. Sainsbury’s ditched a partnership in which Viagogo had been selling tickets in conjunction with the supermarket’s Nectar loyalty points scheme.

Scottish Rugby Union and the ATP tennis tour have also ended their relationships with Viagogo, while Google has also clamped down on its advertising practices. Manchester City Football Club has no such qualms. It still operates a ticket resale partnership with the website.

As attention on the company has built, regulators and enforcement bodies are beginning to take action. Viagogo is now facing dual investigations by the Competition and Markets Authority and National Trading Standards, as well as inquiries overseas, including in its native Switzerland.

A history of controversy

May 2018: 10,000 tickets for an Ed Sheeran tour sold on Viagogo are declared invalid by the artist and his promoters, leaving fans who have handed over hundreds of pounds at risk of being turned away at the door of venues.

May 2018: The Guardian reveals Viagogo’s involvement in resale of football tickets, which can lead to higher prices and put fans’ safety at risk.

April 2018: The Competition and Markets Authority threatens Viagogo with court action for ignoring demands to stop breaching consumer protection laws.

December 2017: Viagogo sells tickets for the hip-hop musical Hamilton, despite the production company’s efforts to prevent ticket resales.

July 2017: The company threatens MPs with arrest when they visit Viagogo’s London office on behalf of angry consumers.

March 2017: In an almost unprecedented snub to parliament, Viagogo refuses to attend a select committee hearing.

February 2017: The firm is accused of trying to manipulate online reviews on the consumer website Trustpilot by offering the chance of cash payouts.

February 2017: It is accused of “moral repugnance” for trying to profit from the resale of tickets to an Ed Sheeran gig in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

February 2017: Dozens of customers claim Viagogo is withholding thousands of pounds in refunds, after a “glitch” led to them being overcharged. Campaigners have since reclaimed around £300,000 from the company on behalf of consumers.

October 2016: Viagogo is accused of “callous profiteering” over the resale of tickets for a gig by the comedian Peter Kay in aid of Cancer Research UK.

September 2016: The firm is threatened with legal action by the English Cricket Board for advertising tickets that were not yet on sale.

August 2016: A £140 ticket for Harry Potter & the Cursed Child is sold on Viagogo for more than £8,000.

July 2016: French police raid a Bordeaux hotel where Viagogo is handing out Euro 2016 tickets, which only the football governing body Uefa was permitted to sell.

February 2012: The firm fails in legal bid to prevent Channel 4 Dispatches programme from revealing that gig promoters allocated tickets to Viagogo before they went on sale to fans.

[ I want to shout, but I can hardly speak ]

Anyone in their right mind that thinks this is a remotely 'credible' business in any shape or form is insane. It has absolutely nothing to offer the marketplace, except abundant opportunities to be deceived and ripped off ... with as good as no chance of refund or compensation when something you've been stupid enough to buy from them turns out not to be what you thought it was .......

GO is what ViaGoGo now needs to do. Take any VIA they like, GO down it, and carry on going down it all the way to distant oblivion !! Put another way ... your time is up, now F**K OFF !!

[ I want to shout, but I can hardly speak ]

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grzegorz67

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Stoneage
What about the poor ticket scalpers then? How are they going to support themselves if we put them out of market? They need bread on the table too. Who are we to deny them that?

Well, maybe, just maybe, they can get up off their fat lazy but expensively clothed arses and learn a skill or profession like everyone else who earns an honest crust? A lot better than sponging off the efforts of others, in their case the artists who write and perform the music and the organisers and event staff. Ticket touts produce NOTHING. They are parasites. Simples.

More importantly, how are the people who are at work all day putting their skills to good use and getting paid appropriately going to do about seeing a concert when they miss out on tickets?

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Dan

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grzegorz67

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Stoneage
What about the poor ticket scalpers then? How are they going to support themselves if we put them out of market? They need bread on the table too. Who are we to deny them that?

Well, maybe, just maybe, they can get up off their fat lazy but expensively clothed arses and learn a skill or profession like everyone else who earns an honest crust? A lot better than sponging off the efforts of others, in their case the artists who write and perform the music and the organisers and event staff. Ticket touts produce NOTHING. They are parasites. Simples.

More importantly, how are the people who are at work all day putting their skills to good use and getting paid appropriately going to do about seeing a concert when they miss out on tickets?

I agree that can be an issue. Ticket sales from the primary seller, should be on a Saturday if possible. Or they could sell them in batches on different days so as not to prejudice against those working on the first ticket release.

Above all, NO solution should ever involve Viagogo or similar scummy parasites.

then you have ticketmaster. i recently bought a pair of tickets for an upcoming echo & the bunnymen show. the pair of tickets were $80. by the time ticketmaster worked their special magic the total came out to $120. & the service is shet. the button to purchase took 5-10 minutes after advertised on sale time to come up, at least for me. criminal incompetence.

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grzegorz67

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Dan

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grzegorz67

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Stoneage
What about the poor ticket scalpers then? How are they going to support themselves if we put them out of market? They need bread on the table too. Who are we to deny them that?

Well, maybe, just maybe, they can get up off their fat lazy but expensively clothed arses and learn a skill or profession like everyone else who earns an honest crust? A lot better than sponging off the efforts of others, in their case the artists who write and perform the music and the organisers and event staff. Ticket touts produce NOTHING. They are parasites. Simples.

More importantly, how are the people who are at work all day putting their skills to good use and getting paid appropriately going to do about seeing a concert when they miss out on tickets?

I agree that can be an issue. Ticket sales from the primary seller, should be on a Saturday if possible. Or they could sell them in batches on different days so as not to prejudice against those working on the first ticket release.

Above all, NO solution should ever involve Viagogo or similar scummy parasites.

I agree. As good a suggestion as any !

Regardless, everyone has 'constraints' of one sort or another in life. So if by some chance you are at work and unable to be online during weekday working hours when tickets for whomsoever go on sale, then one way or the other ... make some alternative provision. Friends, relatives, anyone and/or everyone you know that could help out ? Or otherwise, do what you have to do in the workplace and FIND/MAKE the necessary time. Just don't be such a lazy bastard and feed the parasite organisations like Viagogo & Stubhub, that have done nothing but wreak absolute havoc on the marketplace for many years now .... and thankfully are now probably reaching the end of their respective roads. Long overdue .... may it happen sooner rather than later !

[ I want to shout, but I can hardly speak ]

I know this will be a red rag to a bull for PaulyWaul but quite unbelievably, there are actually tickets on sale at inflated prices on Viagogo for the 3D CINEMA SCREENING of the Havana gig in London on Friday. Not even a live show! Absolutely bonkers.

Just to contribute: on BBC lunchtime news today they said Viagogo is taking legal action against Ed Sheeran's promoter. Hope it costs them plenty (and then they lose)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-04 17:50 by exhpart.

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exhpart
Just to contribute: on BBC lunchtime news today they said Viagogo is taking legal action against Ed Sheeran's promoter. Hope it costs them plenty (and then they lose)

That line should be the new definition of Audacious in the English dictionary.

Nate

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grzegorz67
I know this will be a red rag to a bull for PaulyWaul but quite unbelievably, there are actually tickets on sale at inflated prices on Viagogo for the 3D CINEMA SCREENING of the Havana gig in London on Friday. Not even a live show! Absolutely bonkers.

RED glorious RED snort rage !!

[ I want to shout, but I can hardly speak ]