Lawmakers aim at computer hoarding of concert tickets

When parents complained to economically illiterate Rep. Karen May earlier this year that they missed out on tickets to the teen pop sensation's Chicago concert, she decided to go after the culprit: massive demand for a one-night event in a minor-league hockey arena.

By the way, at least one guy claims there's no software involved. From the New York Times:

---

Cipriano Garibay, president of RMG Technologies, spoke with me last week about the case. He said Ticketmaster, the court and even RMG’s own customers, like Mr. Kovach, did not understand how low-tech his company’s service is — or at least one component. RMG answered Ticketmaster’s Captchas — the visual puzzles of distorted letters that a customer must type before buying tickets— not with character recognition software, he said, but with humans:“We pay guys in India $2 an hour to type the answers.”

Ron wrote:

By the way, at least one guy claims there's no software involved. From the New York Times:
---
Cipriano Garibay, president of RMG Technologies, spoke with me last week about the case. He said Ticketmaster, the court and even RMG’s own customers, like Mr. Kovach, did not understand how low-tech his company’s service is — or at least one component. RMG answered Ticketmaster’s Captchas — the visual puzzles of distorted letters that a customer must type before buying tickets— not with character recognition software, he said, but with humans:“We pay guys in India $2 an hour to type the answers.”

Bullspit. He's saying that his guys just get luckier/are faster than thougsands of people doing the exact same thing. And that is why he gets a incredibly disprportionate amount of the tickets????? RIGHHHHTTT!

They should've included the fees imposed by Ticketmaster. Scalpers are easier to deal with

I hate to say this but aren't there more important issues and bills that springfield should be focusing on? Like a capital improvement plan?

Guess what, this has been happening for years. Before the internet, we were forced to stand out in lines and get a random raffle ticket for places to determine who got first crack at tickets. Ticket brokers paid homeless people to stand in line and improve their chances to get to the front of the line. I am certain brokers employ people to try and get tickets and then hand them over to the agency. Illinois is one of the few states that regulates ticket brokers, so it is legal for them to charge you through the nose. If I did not get a ticket while standing in line, I either had to pay a ton of money or not go to the show. But now that someone's little girl is disappointed, they run and complain. This will never make it out of the senate.

Jeez, what in the dickens is this world coming too. Who cares about event tickets. Especially for someone who can't decide what her name is or keep her clothes on. There are more important things than some flipping concert for little kids. Heck, I can't get Neil Diamond tickets. Am I going to sue, No.

OK, that's it. I'm moving to Mexico.

They usually just add another date to dilute the scarcity and decrease the prices ticket scalpers get.

It anyone is that dumb to pay those prices, they have to get their brains checked for tumors.

This isn't just about a Hannah Montana concert. I have no kids and I can tell you one thing... I'm glad Illinois is addressing this problem.
I've given up trying to get tickets for concerts anywhere near Chicago. Any time a band comes into town, even if you are first in line at Ticketmaster, you won't get any tickets... but turn around five minutes later and you'll find dozens of websites selling tickets to the very same concert. Scalpers suck them all up and then sell them for 3-4 times the original price.
I've started going to Milwaukee for my concerts. For some reason, Wisconsin is very successful at keeping these "ticket hoarders" at bay, and shows that would "sell out" in a heartbeat around here are easy to get tickets for up there (well, relatively so... they are popular bands, after all, but at least you have more than a fighting chance!) I've seen dozens of well-known bands like Evanescense, Tool, and so on up in Milwaukee and Green Bay because I couldn't get tickets for the shows down here. Easy as pie to get them for WI shows, though!

Bill wrote:

Guess what, this has been happening for years. Before the internet, we were forced to stand out in lines and get a random raffle ticket for places to determine who got first crack at tickets. Ticket brokers paid homeless people to stand in line and improve their chances to get to the front of the line. I am certain brokers employ people to try and get tickets and then hand them over to the agency. Illinois is one of the few states that regulates ticket brokers, so it is legal for them to charge you through the nose. If I did not get a ticket while standing in line, I either had to pay a ton of money or not go to the show. But now that someone's little girl is disappointed, they run and complain. This will never make it out of the senate.

I'm just as amused as you that this problem wasn't addressed until some mommy's little princess couldn't go to her precious show, but don't dismiss it just for that reason. I'm sick of having to drive 2-3 hours out of state to see a show... I'd like to be able to see one around here.
Also, I think its safe to say that a bill that passed unopposed in the House has more than a fair chance in the Senate.

Can someone tell me the difference between horders and ticket brokers? Or those "ticket agencies" that are all around Wrigley that charge $100 a ticket for bleacher seats?'Cause I don't see any difference.

I have season tickets to the White Sox, in a relatively decent section. People ask me, "So, do you get to know the other people around you who also have season ticket?" And the answer is no. The people around me who have season tickets are the brokers who end up reselling them on StubHub. If not for those brokers, I may have better seats (especially after last year's dismal performance).

There will always be brokers and they will always find a way around any legislation. The truth of it is, this is basic supply and demand. If the demand wasn't so great, they couldn't command the $1000+ per ticket to see some Disney twit. So I say: ban Hannah Montana!

IHeres the deal, don't by the scalpers tickets, you don't buy them eventually they will go away.

I would rather they pay attention more to identity theft than ticket scalping.

Jill wrote:

I hate to say this but aren't there more important issues and bills that springfield should be focusing on? Like a capital improvement plan?

I'm with you, Jill!

And anyway, the only way you're going to get these guys is to make it illegal to sell at ticket for more than twice the face value. Then there would be less incentive for them to hoard the tickets.

There is a very easy solution. Make it illegal to sell any ticket for more that 10% over face value. The incentive to hoard tickets will be gone.
Currently, I cannot sell any ticket legally for more than face value unless I start a business as a ticket broker. This requirement just sets up a giant scam and promotes hoarding.

I am SOOO sick of this LISA MADIGAN B.S. politician. All she has done during her administration as Attorney General is to lowball Bagojevich as she postures herself for a shot at the State House. She has done nothing for consumer protection and the impotence and beaurocracy of her Chicago office makes her a laughing stock in politics.Maybe she is jealous that Rod took his daughter to see Miley Cyrus at the All State arena and she missed out.

Jack wrote:

There is a very easy solution. Make it illegal to sell any ticket for more that 10% over face value. The incentive to hoard tickets will be gone.
Currently, I cannot sell any ticket legally for more than face value unless I start a business as a ticket broker. This requirement just sets up a giant scam and promotes hoarding.

Close but.....why do we need to allow the resale of tickets at all? Go to a game at Wrigley Field. There is a plethoria of street scum hustlers who constantly and illegally continue to scalp tickets on the public way. Make ANY RESALE a class II misdemeanor punishable by substantial fines or even jail time for misrepresentation. Make the worthless indigants who plague stadium areas get jobs and work for a living like they are capable of if they put their crack pipoes down.