Apologies if this has already been covered...

After the event now obviously, but was wondering - was the total absence of touts outside and around the 02 last Sunday due to the 'security' presence or was it just that there were no tickets around?

I went to the venue in the hope that I'd be able to pick up a ticket from one of the usual crew who hang around outside gigs. This is the first gig I've ever been to of the Stones (or anyone else for that matter) where there has not been a single tout in sight.

(Needless to say I left the O2 with my tail between my legs and kicking myself for assuming that I'd be able to secure a cheeky last minute ticket).

banned from o2 property, i believe.
the outside concourses belong to the o2 Arena.

I did the same on Thursday (2nd show). I had tix for Sunday but was hoping to score some for Thursday. I arrived pretty late (hoping to score a deal) but could not find anyone selling tix. I saw one woman trying to sell one, but it was obvious she had someone in her group not show and she was trying to get her money back. When a guy asked how much she wanted for it she became quite indignant stating she wanted full price.

"Take all the pain...It's yours anyway"

Adrian-L Wrote:
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> banned from o2 property, i believe.
> the outside concourses belong to the o2 Arena.


Thanks for letting me know - figured it would be something like that.

That really sucks.

the boxoffice has had enough tickets for each show!

rknuth Wrote:
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> the boxoffice has had enough tickets for each
> show!


Not on Sunday - I tried that too.

I did not see any touts actually. Very strange. They are all over in London normally. Regardless of sold out shows or not. They do know how to make money. There must be a ban some way that keeps them away at the O2. I do know that a guy who tried to sell some bootleg mercandise was stopped by civil guards within five - 5 minutes outside. There were probably plenty of civil dressed guards that gave the scalpers the choice: get out or get nicked.

Bjornulf

So a tout is the same thing as a scalper?...I never heard that expression before.

bv,
i HOPE to understand you..
but don`t be too oversensitively with the stones.
that`s all a part of the game and be sure, they now, like(mosttimes) and accept
this

Sunday show was completely sold out. No touts, no tix at the door.

Hi all.

I reached the Greenwich north tube station at about 18:55 on sunday
and when I left the scalator just in front of the O2
a guy with a cap,and I think wearing glasses,
offered me tickets.
I answered, no thank you, as I got mine.

Ouch - but if you go ticketless it's best to go early, keep moving and check on outlying areas, especially if there is no action near the venue. And most importantly - you can't wait for someone to offer to sell you tickets, you gotta be aggressive and start asking people, asking everyone if they got one to sell. There are so many people who show up to concerts holding extra tickets but don't want to look like a scalper so they will just stand around a bit and then walk inside still holding it.

We were aproached by a North African just at the entrance of the O2. He asked if we had tickets to sell. We did not - and the tickets were absolutely sold out at the O2 box office. Just after the man left, two men came up to us, asking: Was that man trying to sell you tickets? No, he wanted to buy, but we only have the ones we need ourselves. The men then explained that they wanted to prevent touts selling tickets at and around the O2 from the very beginning. A policy we totally support.

That touts are banned from the O2 environs is GREAT news!! It's about time something was done about those b@st@rds.

>> don`t be too oversensitively with the stones. <<

heinz, it's not about the Stones - it's about the policies at the o2.

and yeah: tout is a British term for a ticket scalper



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-08-31 11:15 by with sssoul.

Tout = Scalper
Petrol = Gazoline
... and so on ...

Same thing just named differently in N. America.
PS. Don't know about down under...

Bjornulf

gstone Wrote:
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> We were aproached by a North African just at the
> entrance of the O2. He asked if we had tickets to
> sell. We did not - and the tickets were absolutely
> sold out at the O2 box office. Just after the man
> left, two men came up to us, asking: Was that man
> trying to sell you tickets? No, he wanted to buy,
> but we only have the ones we need ourselves. The
> men then explained that they wanted to prevent
> touts selling tickets at and around the O2 from
> the very beginning. A policy we totally support.

My guess for that policy is that the box office doesn't want any competition. But around here scalpers usually also buy tickets.

I saw a bloke getting nicked for selling hookie t-shirts as well. Now I don't mind a £5 t-shirt (having already spent ten times that on official stuff usually) but not getting hassled by touts was really encouraging. Shouldn't Wembley be able to do this, I thought they were the owners of most of the land around the Stadium / Arena as well?

Lukester Wrote:
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> So a tout is the same thing as a scalper?...I
> never heard that expression before.

Hey Lukester! Yeah, a tout here is a race track dude who will advise on horses. Scalper is the word we use in USA for ticket dudes. Worried about our Braves Lukester? Maybe you and Elmo need to get back to town. Cheers!

Thanks 5.....I don't think I did the Braves much good the last time I was in Atlanta. Gosh knows I tried, though.......now they seem pretty serious about that restraining order.......and they make a good point that they already have a first base coach so I guess I'll just cheer them on from my living room.

I tried to sell one ticket after having no luck on selling it on IORR and even tried giving it away to two major Stones friends.

Was outside but pretty close to the doors on Thurs and after about 3 or 4 minutes, was approached by 2 security who told me that I could not be doing that. A guy had just approached me and I was talking to him.

I just wanted to get to my seat in the arena and asked if I could give it away and they said no problem and even said if he and I later agreed on some kind of "compensation" such as him buying me a beer or other things, that that was between he and I. They were actually very nice about it.

So I gave it to him but once inside, he told me he thought it was not right for me just to give it to him, so he gave me 50 pounds and asked if that was alright with me.

But I occasionally use scalpers/touts and sometimes pay less, face, or more. But if it weren't for them, there are a number of shows and games I would not have gotten into. So I don't want to totally tear them down. They do and have served a function for me anyway.


clear as the Plexiglass

I was surprised by the lack of ticket touts and even more so by lack of unofficial merchandice at this years london concerts and last years as well.

Needed a couple of cheap t-shirts for the gym!

odean73 Wrote:
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> Needed a couple of cheap t-shirts for the gym!

lol- ditto.
i look like an old bag of washing when i go to the gym,
bootleg t-shirts are a godsend for this purpose.

Adrian-L Wrote:
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> odean73 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> ----->
> > Needed a couple of cheap t-shirts for the gym!
>
> lol- ditto.
> i look like an old bag of washing when i go to
> the gym,
> bootleg t-shirts are a godsend for this purpose.

I look like an old bag of washing after the gym these days. Beats the posers who go dressed like for a night out and then do about ten minutes work out, i suppose it takes all sorts thou.

timbernardis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I tried to sell one ticket after having no luck on
> selling it on IORR and even tried giving it away
> to two major Stones friends.
>
> Was outside but pretty close to the doors on Thurs
> and after about 3 or 4 minutes, was approached by
> 2 security who told me that I could not be doing
> that. A guy had just approached me and I was
> talking to him.
>
> I just wanted to get to my seat in the arena and
> asked if I could give it away and they said no
> problem and even said if he and I later agreed on
> some kind of "compensation" such as him buying me
> a beer or other things, that that was between he
> and I. They were actually very nice about it.
>
> So I gave it to him but once inside, he told me he
> thought it was not right for me just to give it to
> him, so he gave me 50 pounds and asked if that was
> alright with me.
>
> But I occasionally use scalpers/touts and
> sometimes pay less, face, or more. But if it
> weren't for them, there are a number of shows and
> games I would not have gotten into. So I don't
> want to totally tear them down. They do and have
> served a function for me anyway.
>
>
> clear as the Plexiglass


The thing with touts is that they buy a lot of tickets when the sales start, and often we get the message "sold out". And they're hoping to re-sell at a much higher price than they paid for the tickets. So, believe it or not, the touts are our enemies, not our friends. I think it's a great thing that the O2 have such a strict policy. Tickets should cost face value.

I even notice that many Tix agencies in London had the Stones concert sign but with the fine print "info only"...No tickets

I had mates come down to the 02 every night looking for tout tickets. Luckily the venue was still selling them and they could get £75 tickets in the nosebleeds for Tues and Thurs shows. On Sunday they were only selling £165 tickets.

timbernardis Wrote:
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>
> But I occasionally use scalpers/touts and
> sometimes pay less, face, or more. But if it
> weren't for them, there are a number of shows and
> games I would not have gotten into. So I don't
> want to totally tear them down. They do and have
> served a function for me anyway.
>

I agree - yes it's unethical etc but I've also managed to get some really good seats to several shows including the Stones that I couldn't have seen otherwise. I'd rather buy off a tout than one of those rip off 'last minute/ sold out agencies' who are just legalised touts anyway as far as I can make out.

No tickets outside the o2 for Prince last Friday or Saturday my, friend Rolf from Berlin Germany told me last night!

I went down to the o2 planning to buy a ticket off a tout cheaply on Tuesday, but realised after a while the security/police/trading standards were all out in full force.

Hung around for a while, but refused to pay the price the ticket office was looking. Anyway, I waited until just after 9pm and then made a move to leave. Just outside the door was someone who I assume worked at the o2. He had a bunch of tickets. I asked where I could buy a ticket, and he asked how much I was prepared to spend. I said £40, and he produced a ticket for me. Gave him the money and he asked me what it was for! He then gave me money back. And I got in. Missed the first three songs, but still.

So decided to do the same on Thursday. Hung around again for a while, and eventually went in to the concierge stand and the angels once everyone else had gone inside. Was given a block 101 ticket absolutely free.Thank you o2!! All for them keeping the touts away in future if they're going to give the seats away for free!

Couldn't try it on Sunday as I had to work...