This is pure government overreach, the issue is pure demand and supply economics. If the artists want to see the profits of the high prices, they should just raise the initial prices, or auction them. If the artists want to keep prices affordable for fans, then they should ban reselling altogether (buyers show ID to prove they bought the ticket). If governments want to capture the tax revenue from higher prices, then make resold tickets subject to sales tax (or tax the resellers on the profits). It isn't hard.
One of the main reason why prices are so high is because scalpers are using bot armies to buy up tickets at face value, only to instantly resell them at higher prices. Scalping has always existed, but online purchasing and automation is enabling it at an industrial level. Banning or limiting reselling at a profit would greatly decrease demand by ensuring that only people who actually want to go to a show or game are the ones buying the tickets.
It will be interesting to see how bans on social media access for minors and caps on ticket pricing, will be enforced in Australia. Don't get me wrong, I am not in favour of exhorbitant ticket prices or the surcharges paid to "scalpers". What I doubt is the ability of government to enforce its legislation and ineffectual legislation is to me, a "cure worse than the disease" because it encourages people to ignore or flaunt the law. Now more than ever we need people to respect and not disrespect, the rule of law.
While I do not agree with inflating the price of events beyond the capability of many Canadians to afford, I also believe that if I am foolish enough to spend more than I can afford on a sporting or entertainment event, isn't that my fault. The government can legislate this to some degree, but they cannot legislate common sense.
I agree, and if you want to see something badly enough, you'll pay for it. But with industrial-level scalping instantly grabbing face-value tickets and reselling them at much higher prices, aren't we allowing live events to become something only the rich can enjoy?
So, let the "industrial-level" scalping industry choke on a whole series of games/concerts/whatever that they can't sell because consumers refuse to buy. The power is already in the hands of consumers.
Life isn't fair and we can't expect government to get rid of "unfair" when it is already within our power.
The issue is beyond mere price gouging, it’s also the hyper-consumerism of society that is obviously paying these outrageous prices. It only takes a reasonable person to look at their live event purchase intentions to include the cost of tickets (regardless if from resale market or not), travel, accommodation and meals, collectively, to determine whether that total sum is worth paying to attend any live event. If that sum exceeds their budget purchase intentions, the simple solution is to abort on the purchase. I recognize FOMO plays heavily in the purchasing psychology of ticket purchases, but nevertheless, there are clearly consumers who are consciously agreeing to being price gouged by those preying scalpers and bots. If consumers stopped paying these inflated prices, the price-gougers would be forced to lower their prices by default; unless they wanted to hoard the stadium to themselves for the event. Besides, governments do not have a good track record of legislating consumer remedies to fix what is otherwise a market-forces issue. Expecting anything different as applied to this issue would be foolish.
Have to say that presenting comments from politicians or artists as evidence that these policies are effective at their stated intention is pretty lazy. The author makes no effort to evaluate if for example the Victoria legislation has worked (it hasn't).
Because it hasn't. High demand events in Victoria saw incredibly high resale prices from non Australian resellers. These types of government interventions just don't work with high demand items that people want. You could have easily done this research yourself to make a better argument.
Are you serious? Again, this is something you should have done before blindly quoting politician platitudes as gospel. There are literally dozens of resellers who sold tickets for Taylor Swifts shows there, not to mention nor organic reseller groups on Reddit and Facebook
You made no effort to actuality research the impacts of the policies you are promoting to determine if they are effective. Instead you quoted politicians to support your position.
Are we supposed to understand that the people paying the inflated scalper prices aren't "real fans"? Maybe we need everybody to upload their tax returns to Ticketmaster to confirm they don't have too much disposable income to adequately enjoy a game or concert. What about the "real fans" who have been priced out of owning a Van Gough original painting?
Once more we have government trying to separate willing buyers from willing sellers. Government actions that run counter to human nature are almost always doomed to failure unless aggressively policed with significant consequences. Witness the market for illegal drugs and prostitution.
I truly do understand why folks feel ripped off when they cannot get "original" tickets because ticket wholesalers gobble up available seats. Having said that, there is a damned simple and effective tactic: don't buy resale tickets and then the wholesalers will choke on them and incur very substantial losses.
Put another way, just keep the government out of it and let the free market put these insects out of business. That way, fans will save massive amounts of money and government(s) will concern themselves with other things where they can actually (hah!) pass effective (again, hah!) legislation and not get into rabbit holes like concert ticket pricing.
If it benefits Doug or his donors, there will be action. If it benefits the general public, there will be hot air. He is the worst premier in Ontario's history, and that list includes McGuinty and Wynne. He spends like a drunken NDPer.
Are the automated bots that are buying up all the tickets the second they go on sale and then instantly reselling them at much higher prices real fans?
I think the point of who's quoted - which is Oasis's management - is that when you limit or eliminate potential profits for scalpers and their bots you take away their incentives to buy tickets, therefore leaving them for actual humans to buy. And if there's no option to buy those tickets and flip them for a profit, the only people who are going to buy them are those who actually want to go to the concert or game... aka real fans.
This is pure government overreach, the issue is pure demand and supply economics. If the artists want to see the profits of the high prices, they should just raise the initial prices, or auction them. If the artists want to keep prices affordable for fans, then they should ban reselling altogether (buyers show ID to prove they bought the ticket). If governments want to capture the tax revenue from higher prices, then make resold tickets subject to sales tax (or tax the resellers on the profits). It isn't hard.
The artists don't get a say. It's pretty much a Ticketmaster monopoly.
Let the market decide the price of tickets. The only reason tickets are sold at high prices is because people will buy at high prices.
One of the main reason why prices are so high is because scalpers are using bot armies to buy up tickets at face value, only to instantly resell them at higher prices. Scalping has always existed, but online purchasing and automation is enabling it at an industrial level. Banning or limiting reselling at a profit would greatly decrease demand by ensuring that only people who actually want to go to a show or game are the ones buying the tickets.
If you think Blue Jays tickets were expensive, check out the World Cup
It will be interesting to see how bans on social media access for minors and caps on ticket pricing, will be enforced in Australia. Don't get me wrong, I am not in favour of exhorbitant ticket prices or the surcharges paid to "scalpers". What I doubt is the ability of government to enforce its legislation and ineffectual legislation is to me, a "cure worse than the disease" because it encourages people to ignore or flaunt the law. Now more than ever we need people to respect and not disrespect, the rule of law.
While I do not agree with inflating the price of events beyond the capability of many Canadians to afford, I also believe that if I am foolish enough to spend more than I can afford on a sporting or entertainment event, isn't that my fault. The government can legislate this to some degree, but they cannot legislate common sense.
I agree, and if you want to see something badly enough, you'll pay for it. But with industrial-level scalping instantly grabbing face-value tickets and reselling them at much higher prices, aren't we allowing live events to become something only the rich can enjoy?
So, let the "industrial-level" scalping industry choke on a whole series of games/concerts/whatever that they can't sell because consumers refuse to buy. The power is already in the hands of consumers.
Life isn't fair and we can't expect government to get rid of "unfair" when it is already within our power.
If someone wants to pay the price, that’s their business. As the old proverb says, “A fool and his money are soon parted”
Simple solution - don’t buy over priced tickets.
The issue is beyond mere price gouging, it’s also the hyper-consumerism of society that is obviously paying these outrageous prices. It only takes a reasonable person to look at their live event purchase intentions to include the cost of tickets (regardless if from resale market or not), travel, accommodation and meals, collectively, to determine whether that total sum is worth paying to attend any live event. If that sum exceeds their budget purchase intentions, the simple solution is to abort on the purchase. I recognize FOMO plays heavily in the purchasing psychology of ticket purchases, but nevertheless, there are clearly consumers who are consciously agreeing to being price gouged by those preying scalpers and bots. If consumers stopped paying these inflated prices, the price-gougers would be forced to lower their prices by default; unless they wanted to hoard the stadium to themselves for the event. Besides, governments do not have a good track record of legislating consumer remedies to fix what is otherwise a market-forces issue. Expecting anything different as applied to this issue would be foolish.
Have to say that presenting comments from politicians or artists as evidence that these policies are effective at their stated intention is pretty lazy. The author makes no effort to evaluate if for example the Victoria legislation has worked (it hasn't).
Why do you say it hasn't worked?
Because it hasn't. High demand events in Victoria saw incredibly high resale prices from non Australian resellers. These types of government interventions just don't work with high demand items that people want. You could have easily done this research yourself to make a better argument.
What source are you citing?
Are you serious? Again, this is something you should have done before blindly quoting politician platitudes as gospel. There are literally dozens of resellers who sold tickets for Taylor Swifts shows there, not to mention nor organic reseller groups on Reddit and Facebook
Which politician platitudes did I blindly quote? If anything, I think I did the opposite. Thanks for your input.
You made no effort to actuality research the impacts of the policies you are promoting to determine if they are effective. Instead you quoted politicians to support your position.
One wonders whether lobbying (by self-interested commercial interests) has shaped Ford’s position.
He does seem to be reflexively inclined to listen to business, often at the expense of the public interest.
Are we supposed to understand that the people paying the inflated scalper prices aren't "real fans"? Maybe we need everybody to upload their tax returns to Ticketmaster to confirm they don't have too much disposable income to adequately enjoy a game or concert. What about the "real fans" who have been priced out of owning a Van Gough original painting?
Once more we have government trying to separate willing buyers from willing sellers. Government actions that run counter to human nature are almost always doomed to failure unless aggressively policed with significant consequences. Witness the market for illegal drugs and prostitution.
Human nature is one thing. But when humans are trying to compete again armies of bots, it's another.
I truly do understand why folks feel ripped off when they cannot get "original" tickets because ticket wholesalers gobble up available seats. Having said that, there is a damned simple and effective tactic: don't buy resale tickets and then the wholesalers will choke on them and incur very substantial losses.
Put another way, just keep the government out of it and let the free market put these insects out of business. That way, fans will save massive amounts of money and government(s) will concern themselves with other things where they can actually (hah!) pass effective (again, hah!) legislation and not get into rabbit holes like concert ticket pricing.
If it benefits Doug or his donors, there will be action. If it benefits the general public, there will be hot air. He is the worst premier in Ontario's history, and that list includes McGuinty and Wynne. He spends like a drunken NDPer.
At one point you quote someone as saying that genuine fans are priced out. Can you give me a functional definition of a genuine fan?
Are the automated bots that are buying up all the tickets the second they go on sale and then instantly reselling them at much higher prices real fans?
Are the people who are buying them from the bots not real fans? How do you test this?
I think the point of who's quoted - which is Oasis's management - is that when you limit or eliminate potential profits for scalpers and their bots you take away their incentives to buy tickets, therefore leaving them for actual humans to buy. And if there's no option to buy those tickets and flip them for a profit, the only people who are going to buy them are those who actually want to go to the concert or game... aka real fans.
No, they're scalpers.