Ashes Tickets

The use of investigators to id those who've bought through secondary sources is certainly unique and potentially dangerous.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/cricket/ebay-accused-of-helping-scalpers-in-ashes-rush/2006/06/02/1148956547798.html

Rogues

More of the story about Get Met Tickets and the ensuing legal action from their fraud.

Concert Economics

Pretty good breakdown on the economics of a show for an independent promoter. Presumably the costs scale for the larger promoters, but the key point from a re-sale perspective:

Dolly Vogt, Richmond Coliseum’s general manager, agrees. “At the end of the day,” she says, “it is sponsorships and concessions that allow both facilities and events to be profitable.”

Qualification Schemes

There are a multitude of different qualification schemes and certificates that can help build consumer trust in a service. Here is a non-comprehensive list of these certificates:







BBB Online "Better Business Bureau Online"

Ticket Bundling

Ticketmaster also discounts the notion that an add-on purchase will result in a better ticket. That is not the case. Waddell said the value-added strategies of selling or giving away records and other merchandise are more attempts to thwart the secondary ticket market and keep more revenue in the pockets of the artist and music industry. Whereas ticket brokers charge more for the same product, this kind of bundled sale creates revenue that goes to the artist.

Primary and Secondary

This Business Week piece shows how quickly the ire of consumers may be turned on the artists themselves, clearly the worst fear of the entertainment industry.

NY Times

Here's an old story from the New York Times about Stubhub.

UK Govenment Progress

The DCMS is running a program to look into the ticket touting market and suggest some plans of action. It appears as though it's going to be difficult to find a solution that brings all the constituents to the table.

The most telling line in this report is "Government has no current plans to make touting illegal but is looking to identify practical mechanisms that will make it unattractive for ticket touts to operate."