Playlouder - Music is the Network

If I can't get to the show for whatever reason, I don't see why I shouldn't be allowed to pass on the ticket to someone else to enjoy, otherwise the ticket is just wasted money!

I personally would like to see a similar system (with a person nomitated as the attendee at teh time of purchase who must bring Id, rather than necessarily the purchaser), but only if (and i reckon this would be key to stamping out touting) ticket merchants allowed returns and refunds. That way there'd be less incentive to buy from or sell to touts, as tickets for sold out events could be obtained legally, and those who can't attend could get their money back.

Still, I can't help thinking that touting is a sign of a healthy market. If i've bought a ticket (Which is a rivalrous, excludable good) and it appreciates in value because it becomes more scarce, why shouldn't I be able to trade it at the going market rate?

On a related subject, I was told by someone who works in the "secondary sales ticket market" as they rather politely refer to themselves that big promotors often make a certain amount of tickets available directly to 'secondary sales agents' on the condition that they must be sold for a vastly inflated price, that way garnering all the publicity of "U2 tickets alreaday going for a billion pounds on scalper sites" stories. Now, that to me, really is extraordinarily cunty.

Part of it is that the ticket prices are set too low to start with - part of it is that the value to the consumer in "being able to attend an event which i chose to attend at the last moment" is greater than the value in "being able to attend an event which i chose to attend 3 months beforehand", the difference being the cost of time and the risk involved in predicting ones own demand.

the speculators exploit both

in the second case they're genuinely adding value in that they take on some risk

in the former they're just taking money which the promoter could have for themself

the promoters have rooms of people working the secondary market already

they just don't like web2.0 wankers coming in and messing everything up for them

but there's a negative moral perception of those who take that money, so perhaps the promoters are willing to give some of it up in exchange for passing on that negative perception to others

yep

true

true, matt

Valid points all round. In regards to Tim's comments, I fully agree that having the cardholder attatched to attending is a flawed plan. I can think of numerous ocsassions were I have had cause to rope a friend in to get me tickets when I have been broke. I agree with the nomination idea wholeheartedly. I wasn't trying to suggest that this was a complete solution to the problem, but I do maintain that it is i step in the right direction.

i just don't get how it's exploitative - i mean if i buy a barrel of oil when demand is low, and sell it on for more when it's higher, noone complains that 'i'm taking money that was meant for the oil driller'

I am also encouraged by recent reports that for large scale concerts, an initial run of tickets will be made primarily available and a second and third lot put up for sale as advertising and interest grows

yeah, i've seen a few instances of that

it's very good

Live theatre has allowed returns for years, and I'm still not sure why gigs should be any different...

essentially, given that tickets are rivalrous and excludable, i fail to see why a promoter who has sold a ticket in a free market should be given any rights in or control over it's resale

well, given they create the product they can impose any conditions they like on (up to a point)

if the market doesn't like it

It's not that its exploitative in the grand scale of things, more an inconvinience. I have bought tickets for many shows via eBay (Only once from a scruffy looking chap outside a venue - not a pleasant experience), so obviously, the system works well for some. I think a return/exchange policy should definitely be introduced to counterbalance any new attendance/payment factors that may be introduced.

the market can stop buying

or start competing with them

yeah, conditions on sale are fair enough

but many of them are after legislation

which is interfering with the workings of the market

but yeah, the current system works ok for me in general

True. It would just be nice to see some form of system put into play to stop the bulk selling of tickets with the direct intention of selling them at a profit. Granted, in the UK, concerts are a reasonable price, however in Ireland, things have gotten out of control, with even small venues charging up to thirty quid for indescribably unspectacular events. Major concerts are usually above or around the hundred mark via Ticketmaster. The old addage that we are paying more because it is more difficult for an artist to visit Ireland is defunct, for many artists make so much money here that they often commence their tours and do more dates here. For example, Springsteen, Cohen and Waits are all doing three nights of shows here, almost unrivalled in any other location.

if the demand wasn't there at those prices, they would drop. it's just that nobody close to the event wants to be percieved as greedy, so they have to be sneaky about how they obtain the market price

perhaps their costs are higher in ireland, which might explain the additional willingness to be sneaky / greedy

but who knows

I suppose as long as we can all get to the gigs that we want to all will be well and we can justify paying any price for them. On a personal level, I would suggest that the current system could be improved slightly. This may not be to everyone's agreement and I can fully accept that others may see no flaw in the current situation. It just comes down to how accessable you find your chosen entertainment I guess.

And everything costs much, much more in Ireland anyway because we have all been royally screwed on an unprecedented level of economic rottery. But that's for another site, another day.

So, eh, how about that local sports team?.................

In a little addendum to this, it seems that in relation to second and third round ticket offers, HMV will be selling tickets to Glastonbury this week. All you need to do is supply your details when you are purchasing the tickets. They will be available from 8am today at Bristol, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and London Oxford Street. Godspeed.