Ticket Reselling Reaches a New Low
So we all know how much ticket scalpers, like Higs, Ace, and countless others, suck. They thrive on exploiting the ignorance and passion of fans and exploit the game of baseball for their own personal gain. They will try to convince you that they are the easiest way to get tickets to the Red Sox games, and for that convenience, you should pay triple, quadruple, and up to 10X the cost of a ticket. They are all over TV, all over other blog sites (We will NEVER let scalpers advertise on this site), on the radio, etc. etc. In my opinion, anyone who advertises for a scalper is on their side and is perpetuating the problem. You are helping and promoting an illegal and immoral enterprise, and are directly contributing to the dilution of the fan base at Fenway, which was never more apparent than a the World Series this year. You are aiding them in doing business so they can get online with 100s of computers when tickets go on sale and buy up everything that the average fan spent all day sitting in front of his computer waiting for.
Yes, as far as I am concerned, it is us vs. them. I understand how supply and demand works and that sometimes, tickets cost more. But that is why we have eBay, Stubhub, Craigslist, and other marketplaces. Ace Ticket’s website is not a marketplace and prices are not set by supply and demand. They are set by greed and advertising budgets. Tickets are ALWAYS more expensive on the scalpers sites, and there is rarely any difference in price (add price collusion to the list of illegal/immoral activities they are practicing).
And then today, I go online to read about the Red Sox on Boston.com, and there it is. Ace tickets in my face. The ad for which is listed just below the link to the Extra Bases Blog which does a mighty fine job of helping us normal fans fight the scalpers with ticket alerts and things of that nature.
I know Boston.com wants to make money, and probably wouldn’t turn away an advertiser. I can’t really blame them, but I can’t help the fact that it pissed me off. Especially since the ad has the gaul to ask people to sell them tickets! Why would I sell my tickets to ACE? Just so he can profit on the transaction instead of me?
In conclusion, I say this. Don’t let scalpers advertise. Don’t buy tickets from known scalpers. If you can’t get a ticket or don’t want to invest the time to get one from the Red Sox, buy a ticket from a casual fan on eBay or Stubhub. Don’t let guys like Ace and Higs force you to fork over your retirement savings just to see the Devil Rays lose to the Sox in April.
And most of all, don’t let these guys advertise and perpetuate the logic that they are the only source for tickets in town. Its just not right.
Stumble it!
February 7th, 2008 at 10:52 am
You’re an idiot! Especially if you think StubHub is an actual marketplace. Over 95% of their inventory is supplied by Brokers. Anyway, wake up. You live in America. Like it or not we are a market based economy. If you’d prefer to attend baseball games in a more controlled and restricted economic system you should try Cuba.
February 7th, 2008 at 10:56 am
By the way loser. Your money making Google Ad Sense program is serving Ticket Broker ads on your site. Way to fight the power. You now hate yourself.
February 7th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Hmmm, I wonder if Marty works for our old friend Higs? Price collusion is extortion, plain and simple. If 95% of tickets on stubhub are really brokers, than I would guess that about 5% of the tickets on there actually sell.