4 ms·

That is completely made up example - I’ve been to events that do this and you’re typically allowed to purchase 2-4 tickets per id

AnthonyMouse 3y ago
That doesn't work for honest people when the person who used their ID is the one who can't go. And you now have a new scalping model where you create a website for people to submit their IDs ahead of time and pay a fee to have someone try to get them a ticket in the two seconds before they sell out, but they buy 2-4 tickets per ID and resell the others.
- kelnos 3y ago
  Simple fix for that: require the concertgoer to physically present the ID when arriving at the concert. They can also just disallow multiple tickets per ID. To clarify the proposed process: you buy one or more tickets online, and you're required to put full names to those tickets when you purchase them. You are not permitted to change those names later. You can return the tickets (minus some "restocking" fee), but that's all you're allowed to do; no transfers. When the time comes to attend the concert, everyone brings their ID, and the ticket checker matches the names on the IDs with the names on the tickets. No match, no entry. There is certainly one hole: tickets are still scarce, so someone could set up a website where they claim they'll guarantee you a ticket (because they have fast internet connections and legions of low-paid grunts clicking furiously at the website), and then charge a large premium on top of the ticket price in order to do so. You either give them your Ticketmaster (or whatever) account credentials, or they even "give" you an account after buying the ticket for you, all with your name on it. I do think this would inflate some ticket prices, but I feel like the situation would still be much better than it is now. On top of that, the ticket seller can just ban these sorts of websites. Again, not perfect, as they'll do everything they can to circumvent the ban, but you can probably make things difficult enough for them that their value prop doesn't really work out all that well, and they fail to get tickets often enough that they end up with a bad reputation. Really, ticket scalping should just be illegal, and law enforcement should crack down hard on these kinds of outfits.
  - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
    > Simple fix for that: require the concertgoer to physically present the ID when arriving at the concert. That doesn't fix it. The person whose ID it is actually wants to go to the concert. They show up with their ID and activate the other tickets sold by the scalper. > you buy one or more tickets online, and you're required to put full names to those tickets when you purchase them. Then you're back to pissed off customers because they have multiple tickets they actually want to use and can't change who gets to go when one person can't. > I do think this would inflate some ticket prices, but I feel like the situation would still be much better than it is now. A lot of things like this work okay the first time you try it, then entrepreneurs find a way to improve the efficiency of the market. Fundamentally the problem is that you're trying to violate the law of supply and demand. If you want scalpers to stop existing, raise the price of tickets to match what people will pay for them. If you want prices to go down, move to a venue with more seats.
    - slau 3y ago
      You’re missing the point: every ticket has a name. Not the same single name on 4 tickets. Every ticket is personalised. It doesn’t matter that one person can’t come. All the others can go. If you can’t go, you still can get refunded for your ticket cost. If one person buys multiple tickets, they need to provide all the names of the people who are going. Just like when you book a plane ticket.
      - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
        > You’re missing the point: every ticket has a name. Not the same single name on 4 tickets. Every ticket is personalised. At which point you can no longer exchange one for a different name and have pissed off legitimate customers. That was the point of the suggestion that you could get 2-4 tickets in the same name -- so that you could change 1-3 of them in case of a conflict. But then scalpers can too.
        xp84 3y ago
        So what? People will always be pissed off. Millions are pissed off today because they had no chance to afford tickets to popular shows thanks to scalpers. Plane tickets are all virtually as this person described. Someone in your party can’t go to Jamaica with you because they got sick/broke up with you/whatever? Nobody cares, AND no refunds. This Names-and-IDs policy is actually much nicer than plane tickets, because refunds at face value would be allowed. If you’re lucky you might even be able to rebuy the same ticket for your new gf if you’re quick.
kelnos 3y ago
I think the point is that under this proposed anti-scalper system, you get 1 ticket per ID. Otherwise it's gameable.

AnthonyMouse 3y ago

That doesn't work for honest people when the person who used their ID is the one who can't go. And you now have a new scalping model where you create a website for people to submit their IDs ahead of time and pay a fee to have someone try to get them a ticket in the two seconds before they sell out, but they buy 2-4 tickets per ID and resell the others.

kelnos 3y ago
Simple fix for that: require the concertgoer to physically present the ID when arriving at the concert. They can also just disallow multiple tickets per ID. To clarify the proposed process: you buy one or more tickets online, and you're required to put full names to those tickets when you purchase them. You are not permitted to change those names later. You can return the tickets (minus some "restocking" fee), but that's all you're allowed to do; no transfers. When the time comes to attend the concert, everyone brings their ID, and the ticket checker matches the names on the IDs with the names on the tickets. No match, no entry. There is certainly one hole: tickets are still scarce, so someone could set up a website where they claim they'll guarantee you a ticket (because they have fast internet connections and legions of low-paid grunts clicking furiously at the website), and then charge a large premium on top of the ticket price in order to do so. You either give them your Ticketmaster (or whatever) account credentials, or they even "give" you an account after buying the ticket for you, all with your name on it. I do think this would inflate some ticket prices, but I feel like the situation would still be much better than it is now. On top of that, the ticket seller can just ban these sorts of websites. Again, not perfect, as they'll do everything they can to circumvent the ban, but you can probably make things difficult enough for them that their value prop doesn't really work out all that well, and they fail to get tickets often enough that they end up with a bad reputation. Really, ticket scalping should just be illegal, and law enforcement should crack down hard on these kinds of outfits.
- AnthonyMouse 3y ago
  > Simple fix for that: require the concertgoer to physically present the ID when arriving at the concert. That doesn't fix it. The person whose ID it is actually wants to go to the concert. They show up with their ID and activate the other tickets sold by the scalper. > you buy one or more tickets online, and you're required to put full names to those tickets when you purchase them. Then you're back to pissed off customers because they have multiple tickets they actually want to use and can't change who gets to go when one person can't. > I do think this would inflate some ticket prices, but I feel like the situation would still be much better than it is now. A lot of things like this work okay the first time you try it, then entrepreneurs find a way to improve the efficiency of the market. Fundamentally the problem is that you're trying to violate the law of supply and demand. If you want scalpers to stop existing, raise the price of tickets to match what people will pay for them. If you want prices to go down, move to a venue with more seats.
  - slau 3y ago
    You’re missing the point: every ticket has a name. Not the same single name on 4 tickets. Every ticket is personalised. It doesn’t matter that one person can’t come. All the others can go. If you can’t go, you still can get refunded for your ticket cost. If one person buys multiple tickets, they need to provide all the names of the people who are going. Just like when you book a plane ticket.
    - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
      > You’re missing the point: every ticket has a name. Not the same single name on 4 tickets. Every ticket is personalised. At which point you can no longer exchange one for a different name and have pissed off legitimate customers. That was the point of the suggestion that you could get 2-4 tickets in the same name -- so that you could change 1-3 of them in case of a conflict. But then scalpers can too.
      - xp84 3y ago
        So what? People will always be pissed off. Millions are pissed off today because they had no chance to afford tickets to popular shows thanks to scalpers. Plane tickets are all virtually as this person described. Someone in your party can’t go to Jamaica with you because they got sick/broke up with you/whatever? Nobody cares, AND no refunds. This Names-and-IDs policy is actually much nicer than plane tickets, because refunds at face value would be allowed. If you’re lucky you might even be able to rebuy the same ticket for your new gf if you’re quick.

kelnos 3y ago

I think the point is that under this proposed anti-scalper system, you get 1 ticket per ID. Otherwise it's gameable.