Discussion. @anon143266: It's actually not fair. Although anti-scalping laws aren't always vigorously enforced or easily understood, it's best to inform yourself as best as possible of your state and local laws before you look to turn a profit. We're available Mon-Fri 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT and weekends 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT. I immediately checked Stubhub - they had 172 tickets for the event, all starting at three times the face value of the ticket! I have contacted microsoft as well as all retailers corporate offices and discussed why they aren’t stopping scalpers and their response was basically if you know who the scalper is take their information to the cops so they can be arrested. Scalping of Endgame tickets has also been reported in other countries: last week, scalpers from United States were auctioning tickets for the movie’s premiere on eBay for USD 25,000 (about SGD 33,896). I sold the tickets for $500 apiece, making back half of the money for my season tickets in one sale. Give yourself the best possible chance of prevailing on your claim in small claims court by understanding the process and being prepared. I've had a difficult time figuring out where this scenario fits. They state that it creates a fair, open market that both parties are agreeable toward. He states flat out that scalping should be illegal. Your friend can't make it, and you've got an extra ticket. Just not enforced very well. In any event, anti-scalping legislation focuses on the seller, so you can buy scalped tickets without fear of being arrested. I figured that if they were going to be rooting against my new home team, I would make them pay. I have no problem with recouping a loss based on the fact you can not attend but making a profit off something that you never out right own is just bogus. As with crime in general, police officers handle the offense according to severity. Living Trust: What's Best for You? Another type of fraud, though, came up recently when Ticketmaster invalidated over 1,000 Barbara Streisand concert tickets because blocks were bought with a stolen credit card and then resold. I think you'll find scalping is illegal in most states. Those in favor of the legality of ticket scalping say that going through brokers creates a safe and reliable way to get tickets. I don't know if there is a limit to the number of tickets you can buy at one time, but I'm sure there are ways to get around it. I sold the tickets to the Dallas Game because I had no interest in seeing the Cowboys play, and I knew that there were a lot of transplants from Texas who wanted to see the game. The Florida law attempts to address this concern by making it illegal to hoard tickets for an event that has ticket purchase limits, i.e., one that restricts the number of tickets an individual can buy. It's not "fair?" Freelance writer and editor Michelle Kaminsky, Esq. States that restrict scalping include: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. I can barely stand paying ticketmaster, so I am definitely not going to pay some stranger more than the actual artist who created the music I want to hear live! What Are the Penalties for Scalping Illegally? It is legal in some places, and illegal in others. In an effort to compromise on ticket scalping laws, licenses or permits are often required, and the decision to make scalping illegal is made by individual states or municipalities. Scalpers enter and exit the financial markets quickly, usually within seconds, using higher levels of leverage to place larger sized trades in the hopes of achieving greater profits from relatively small price changes. Jury Dodgers: What Really Happens if You Ignore Your Jury Summons? What's the Legal Difference Between Annulment and Divorce? … This type of scalping is illegal under certain conditions. But scalping and secondary ticket markets are not without their downsides. In the US, ticket scalping is the practice of buying and reselling event tickets by private citizens, rather than by the sponsoring venue or organization, usually at a much higher price than their face value. At 10 a.m., I was not able to get tickets. In some states scalping is considered a misdemeanor , which carries a fine as high as $1,000 and imprisonment up to one year for the first offense. Those who want to make the practice illegal argue that the system favors the wealthy and prompts scalpers to buy large quantities of tickets strictly for resale. Bob Gheldof is running “Live8” and is hitting the roof that some people are scalping tickets on (where … But I just got a flyer in the mail about a show I had no idea about. But first, how do ticket sales work? SEC Charges Operator of Stock Picking Website with Secretly Profiting in Investment Scam (Aug. 1, 2006). Of course, one has to be over the age of, say, nine, emotionally speaking, to appreciate the absolutely beautiful way the system works, which may be why some folks find it "unfair." By these laws, you can scalp pretty much anything else that you want, but the second you scalp an event ticket, the justice system is going to come down on you like a … In essence, scalping is neither gambling nor illegal. Whether a living trust is better for you than a will depends on whether the additional options it provides are worth the cost. Many brokers included event tickets as part of a package deal, thereby charging outrageously high prices, legally getting around the anti-scalping law. However, scalping tickets is illegal in a number of states, and what precisely is and isn’t a crime varies among those states. Don't confuse S corporations with an LLC. Once the tickets are purchased, the broker turns around and sells them, usually at a profit. At the moment, 15 states have laws in place that restrict scalping, with infractions ranging from misdemeanors with penalties to up to a year in prison. For how much? Efforts to make the practice illegal are overshadowed by such websites. Enough is enough...scalping needs to be made illegal. Who said you had to wait till the last minute to get a ticket. Would I be subject to paying tax at the end of the year or declaring this as "profit" I make at the end of a calendar year? Assuming that is the case, use supply and demand analysis to explain why the equilibrium ticket price in an illegal secondary market tends to be higher than in a legal secondary market. I couldn't buy tickets to a show I didn't know about. Discussion. A solution to the scalper problem would be to have all states make scalping illegal. I have shown up late to concerts and been able to get in for less than half price by buying tickets form a scalper who bought too many tickets. People who attend concerts or sporting events are usually emotionally invested in that event, and resellers take advantage of those feelings. Privacy Policy. Some states allow the original seller to register with an authorized website for reselling the tickets. --xtina. Negotiation is an art, patience is a virtue. Ticket resale is a form of arbitrage that arises when the number demanded at the sale price exceeds the number supplied (that is, when event organizers charge less than the equilibrium prices for the tickets).. During the 19th century, the term scalper was applied to railroad ticket brokers who sold tickets for lower rates. The scalper hasn't performed any service other than to block my original purchase. Which means a ticket in Arizona can cost as much as someone's willing to pay if they're 200 feet and one inch away from the door. Opening an LLC bank account shouldn’t be difficult, provided you do your research and bring the proper papers. Laws became even more difficult to enforce when the practice became widespread online. However, 15 states have implemented their own laws banning the practice of scalping in some way. At least eight teams of the National Football League teams, four of Major League Baseball, and one of the National Basketball Association use the services of a ticket reseller to allow season ticket holders to sell individual tickets online. Terms of Use and Why should I have to pay a higher price than the next person because someone else was greedy? Posted by 3 months ago. I wanted two tickets, and I knew when they went on sale. Someone's got a product to sell, someone else is looking for that product. The artist isn't making any more money. Unlike bigger ticket scalpers who buy a ton of tickets at once, this is buying and selling tickets from secondary markets. There have been numerous times (this morning included) where I have been online with my finger on the refresh button two minutes prior to the official selling time. If the official website for the event sells out, these sites promote themselves as a second chance. At other events, reselling tickets is not illegal, but it's not permitted on stadium grounds. You aren’t required to use any particular title, but you do need to make sure that the title you choose is appropriate and doesn’t mislead anyone. In California, scalping of an "entertainment event" tickets is illegal unless the scalper as the written permission of the venue owner or operator. The unfair part of scalping is when scalpers buy up a large amount of tickets, making it impossible for enough customers to buy the tickets they want at the affordable price. For some startups, it might be useful to shop around before filing. Therefore, cops are often hesitant to get involved. min read. Otherwise you just may end up with front row seats in a less entertaining place — a courtroom. A few months ago, people were selling toilet paper and hand sanitizer for hundreds of dollars. Don't make these common mistakes. Ticket brokers offer some protection on this front, whereas individual sellers will simply disappear with your cash. Opponents of anti-scalping laws say that ticket sales should be like any other venture in a capitalist economy and the free market. Another thing is, yes, you should not wait until the last minute. Will vs. It's the day of the big (sold-out) event. Although these states have stopped the action of scalping, places including Massachusetts still have scalping legalized and abused. I could not get through and now they are charging more than double the fee. Scalpers are not guaranteed a return on their investment, even as far as having to sell them for less than face value. A few states regulate ticket scalping. If the producer decides to sell their product well below the highest profit possible, then the consumer should be allowed to profit freely from this mistake (though it may not be a mistake). Required fields are marked *. I'm wondering where this fits in this argument of ticket brokering being legal/illegal, etc. According to a report from Connecticut’s Office of Legislative (OLR) research, there are 27 states that have laws regarding ticket reselling. Laws about ticket scalping vary by state, and there is no federal law that prohibits the practice. It's not till next month, but now there is only one seat left. Why are natives called Indians? Attorneys with you, every step of the way. Thanks in advance for any answers you can provide. @ FrameMaker- I am with you, I think that the only ones really complaining about scalpers are the sports teams who wish that they were making more money. I tried, over and over again, because I am optimistic but kept getting the same message saying they didn't have the two tickets I wanted. In those states, like Illinois, it’s illegal to scalp tickets unless you’re a registered (and taxed) ticket broker. That is, the market should dictate at which price tickets are sold. Certain types of scalping are illegal in many states, mainly ticket scalping. Real fans follow their teams or favorite artists, and know when the tickets go on sale. The most common scam is someone selling fabricated tickets, many times to seats that don't even exist in a venue. Hawaii is one of the few states in the nation where ticket scalping is completely legal, except for boxing matches. Beyond the agents, though, are so-called "ticket brokers," who procure tickets for resale in a variety of ways like paying people to stand in line using autodialling software. Scalping period is actually illegal in all 50 states. Can I Form an LLC While Employed or Working at Another Job? Google: No. When a marriage ends, it's important to take the necessary legal steps to formally terminate the relationship. 2. In addition to state laws, other laws make scalping illegal in raceways and the NFL. The practice of scalping is currently defined as a misdemeanor by 15 US states individually, with nothing more than a slap on the wrist for destroying an entire sector of the economy and forcing consumers to use sketchy third parties to purchase potentially life-changing products and services. It'd be one thing if they charged for even close to the face value, but they don't. Get legal help with matters related to work and residency. Seems perfectly fair to me. There are serious consequences if you decide to skip out on jury duty. Ticket scalping is the practice of re-selling tickets to events. In it, Richard reports about a scalper group that has acquired 3500 units of the PlayStation 5, which is more stock than some retailers have had. Local laws or your particular situation may change the general rules. Whether it's legal depends on the state in which the event is located and whether the sale happens online, on the phone, or in person. This is why scalping often occurs in close proximity to events, such as concerts or baseball games, but not within the grounds or stadium. But there aren’t any laws against reselling retail products at higher prices. Starting Up? Scalping is not new and we know this, but since lockdown has forced more and more people indoors, it has created more gamers and more people are using this as an opportunity to scalp...couple this with the release of next generation consoles, scalping groups are using bot buying programs to jump to the front of online queuing systems using an a Representative Stargel's argument in favor of anti-scalping legislation revolves around the "common fan" theory. @ FrameMaker- I disagree with you. Successful transactions included a pair of tickets that … Street scalpers offer a win-win proposal that carries the risk of lose-lose. Internet sites that resell tickets are regulated, tax-paying websites that capitalize on fans’ eagerness to buy tickets at any cost. In the process, the reseller and the organization both get cuts of any profit. Make Scalping illegal. Just the other side of the coin. Enterprising scalpers may be encouraged to buy up large proportions of … Four states — North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio and Virginia — leave the issue up to local municipalities. Now I can't go because I can't afford the huge markup. Is it illegal to buy tickets from one secondary market (anywhere other than the original ticket seller such as Ticketmaster or directly from a team/arena from a site like eBay, StubHub, Vivid Seats, other ticket resale marketplaces) and sell them at a different price in another secondary market. Make it so that anyone selling a product over msrp within the first year or two of that products release, is fined severely. Outside the event? Comments are locked. I paid about 2000 for two season tickets, but ended up seeing most of the games for much cheaper. Everyone has access to the tickets at the same time, scalpers and non-scalpers alike. I'm sure it's because of scalpers, because I found some selling seats on ebay. Ticket scalpers are motivated by different factors, including greed, the desire to prey on fans’ emotions, and a love of capitalism. That is if ticket resellers scoop up all the tickets for an event, the average person won't be able to find and/or afford tickets to an event. Read more. Use some foresight! Scalping should not be illegal. They get together, negotiate a deal, and everyone walks away with what they want. According to the sponsor of the bill in Florida's House of Representatives, John K. Stargel, R-Lakeland, the exception gave these brokers a monopoly on ticket sales. Arizona, for example, bans scalping only within 200 feet of the entrance to the venue. An hour later, the event was declared sold out. Which State to File Your LLC In. I personally don't see a problem with ticket scalping. But there aren’t any laws against reselling retail products at higher prices. At least one former New England Patriots' season ticket holder had his tickets taken away for simply putting them up for auction — even though no money or tickets were ever exchanged. Seven states — Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania — require a special license to resell tickets. In the United States, scalping style is illegal as ruled by the Supreme Court of the United States. FrameMaker, nicely said. I sold one more pair of tickets that season and made another $400, so I only paid $600 for six sets of great regular season tickets, plus preseason games. Approximately 16 of the 50 states have a law that makes scalping illegal. Use of our products and services are governed by our 238. What about when a scalper uses a program to jam up the system with automatic purchases preventing private individuals wanting to purchase tickets the hour they go on sale? However, all of those laws have been written specifically for event tickets . As a business owner, you have many options for paying yourself, but each comes with tax implications.

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