Lawmaker calls for Ticketmaster investigation
p2pnet news view Freedom | P2P:- When tickets for Bruce Springsteen’s new tour went on sale exclusively through Ticketmaster on February 2, “scores of fans in New Jersey were met with technical difficulty on Ticketmaster.com that impaired them from making a purchase,” says US congressmen Bill Pascrell Jr.
Thousands of others, “fortunate enough to get beyond the technical problems,” were told the shows were sold out.
But, “Conspicuously placed on the same screen that informed fans of ticket unavailability was an alternative purchasing option from TicketsNow.com,” says Pascrell, going on:
“It offered the same tiuckets at a value marked up hundreds of dollars beyond their original face value.”
Pascrell, a congressmen in Springsteen’s home state, is now demanding the Federal Trade Commissionand Department of Justice Antitrust Division, “investigate Ticketmaster’s relationship with its subsidiary company, TicketsNow”.
In a letter to FCC chairman William Kovacic, “As you know, Ticketmaster is a large ticket sales and distribution company that often serves as a venue’s sole ticketing agent,” says Pascrell, continuing »»»
I am troubled by how quickly tickets priced exponentially higher became available on the secondary market to thousands of rejected fans, many who also endured unfortunate technical problems on Ticketmaster.com.
I am concerned that the business affiliation between Ticketmaster and TicketsNow may represent a conflict of interest that is detrimental to the average fan. There is a significant potential for abuse when one company is able to monopolize the primary market for a product and also directly manipulate, and profit from, the secondary market.
Additionally, the speed with which tickets were made available on Ticketmaster’s official resale affiliate site raises questions about whether TicketsNow brokers were given preferential treatment instead of competing on a level playing field with average consumers to purchase the tickets.
With so many families struggling in this economy, I am outraged by how expensive tickets to ball games, concerts and other shows have become. I understand the economic principles that have driven up the cost of entertainment, but will not tolerate unjust business practices that put regular Americans at a disadvantage.
I respectfully request that your office investigate the relationship between Ticketmaster and TicketsNow to ensure that the procedure for purchasing tickets remains fair to the average consumer.
Speaking of monopolies, Ticketmaster and Live Nation are reportedly close to a merger which would, “consolidate two of the most powerful forces in the music industry under one roof”.
Bill Pascrell Jr – Pascrell seeks investigation into Ticketmaster business practice, February 3, 2009
most powerful forces - Ticketmaster, Live Nation – wedding bells?, February 4, 2009
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February 4th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
There should be a national law against selling any ticket for more than face value.
February 4th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
@Eric: if there’s a shortage, some means is required to distribute the scarce resource. All methods are unsatisfactory, since some would-be participants have to do without; however, it is quite apparent that money, unpalatable as it is, is the best means to efficiently match sellers with buyers.
@topic: this is entertainment, folks; it’s optional. If the price is high, let some other fool pay it.
February 6th, 2009 at 4:23 am
Hmmm, that Eric is not me, the regular Eric who posts here. My stance was different– I never liked Ticketmaster and would prefer tickets only be sold at the venues– but I understand what the other Eric is saying, if not where he is coming from.
February 6th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
I have never been a fan of ticketmaster because I have never understood how they can charge such a high service charge for such an easy process. Now to add on what they are doing with their partner sites and it is nothing more than ticket scalping.
I filed a complaint with my local better business bureau because I had the same type of issue that others had with Springsteen tickets while trying to get tickets for PHISH and The Grateful Dead. Tickets were gone in minutes, but yet, wait it is a miracle, ticketmaster’s partner site has tickets for 5 times the face value, and all within 10 minutes.
I think we need legislation that will not allow tickets to be sold by any ticket agency for more than their face value and a reasonable service fee.