scalpers

10 Stories

Odd Problem for Swifties: Go to a Show, Then Forget It

'Post-concert amnesia' is a thing, psychologists say; also fans find end-run around scalpers

(Newser) - As the Taylor Swift Eras Tour rolls on, two stories illustrate just how much of a phenomenon it is for her fans. One involves ticket sales, the other a strange experience being called "post-concert amnesia." On the first, the Wall Street Journal reports that three friends have teamed...

Cat Stevens Scraps Concert, Blames Scalpers

'The Peace Train is going to arrive at New York a little bit later than expected'

(Newser) - It was to be Cat Stevens' first show in New York City in some 35 years. But according to Stevens, who also goes by Yusuf Islam, ticket scalpers ruined the fun for everyone. In a post on his website , Stevens says he canceled the Dec. 7 show after fans told...

Scalpers Are Selling Sandy Concert Tickets for ... $60K?

They're trying to, anyway, and Chuck Schumer is livid

(Newser) - With names like Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones , and Kanye West appearing in the upcoming "12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief," tickets cost anywhere from $150 to $2,500. Officially. Unofficially, however, online scalpers are asking as much as $60,000, raising an outcry against those looking...

Foul-Mouthed Ticket Scalper Talks Crime, Punishment
Foul-Mouthed Ticket Scalper Talks Crime, Punishment
HUMOR ALERT

Foul-Mouthed Ticket Scalper Talks Crime, Punishment

Time-wasting cops 'should be fired'

(Newser) - Adrian Chen found the ticket scalper with possibly the dirtiest mouth on the New York circuit and convinced him to do an interview for Gawker . He expounds on would-be sex-trading ticket buyer Susan Finkelstein, New York sports fans, and more:
  • On Finkelstein: "Every one of those cops should be
...

Lottery Planned for 17,500 Free Jacko Memorial Tickets

(Newser) - Organizers will give out 17,500 free tickets to Tuesday’s Michael Jackson memorial at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, the Times reports. The drawing will occur Sunday, and ticket-seekers can register online. Trying to avoid a rush, the promoter kept some details secret, saying only “there will be no...

Ticketmaster Goes Digital to Curb Scalpers

Miley Cyrus opts for paperless tix to control prices, resale

(Newser) - Better be sure before buying a Miley Cyrus concert ticket. Hers is the first major concert tour with paperless tickets—redeemable only at the door with the buyer's credit card—making it nearly impossible to pawn them off, the Wall Street Journal reports. Ticketmaster and concert promoters hope it will...

Nine Inch Nails Pinch Scalpers
 Nine Inch Nails Pinch Scalpers 

Nine Inch Nails Pinch Scalpers

New online strategy aims to get tix straight to fans

(Newser) - Nine Inch Nails aims to outmaneuver scalpers and undercut premium ticket brokers with an online strategy during an upcoming summer concert tour, Reuters reports. Tickets will be sold directly to fans registered on the band's website beginning 72 hours before each concert date. Organizers hope tight ID restrictions will ensure...

Ticketmaster Pays $265M for Online Scalper

Purchase signals major shift in resellers' business model

(Newser) - Fans who once turned to scalpers for last-minute seats can now hit up ... Ticketmaster? In a sure sign of the online ticket resale boom, the sports and entertainment behemoth will buy TicketsNow, the second-largest online ticket reseller, reports the Wall Street Journal. "Clients who five years ago were not...

Led Zeppelin Outwits Scalpers
Led Zeppelin Outwits Scalpers

Led Zeppelin Outwits Scalpers

Strict new security in force at concert

(Newser) - Rock band Led Zeppelin performs in London tonight for the first time in 20 years and fans are pouring in from all over the world—including Brazil, Australia and the US. Some may be bitterly disappointed, however. Stringent new security arrangements designed to beat scalpers may stop some fans from...

Ticket Scalpers Draw Scrutiny
Ticket Scalpers Draw Scrutiny

Ticket Scalpers Draw Scrutiny

Is the ticket industry designed to fleece the average consumer?

(Newser) - The Hannah Montana tour is hot—tickets sold out in seconds, and resellers are charging as much as 100 times face value for them. And both the speed of sellouts and eye-popping resale prices for popular artists are arousing suspicion. The Washington Post looks at how scalpers use ticket-buying technology,...

10 Stories