We Need To Solve The Scalping Problem

emilytreadgold #2, Editorial Leave a Comment

You know that feeling you get when you are looking forward to a concert for months and the day finally comes when ticket sales are open? You set a few alarms the night before and wait by your computer, constantly refreshing the page until that magical moment becomes reality in your respective time zone.

Oh happy day! Your dreams have finally come to life! But wait!? Why isn’t your page loading fast enough? Why has Ticketmaster been telling you for the last fifteen minutes to not close or refresh the page because you will lose your spot in virtual line? Why have you been told that there are no seats available?

That’s because a bazillion people bought tickets and (fun fact) MOST OF THEM AREN’T GOING BECA– USE THEY ARE SOULLESS CREEPS WHO WANT TO BUY TICKETS AND SELL THEM AT A HUGE UPCHARGE.

And we want those people gone.

Maybe.

Some people really love scalpers. Some people really hate scalpers. I, myself, have a love-hate relationships with them that is mostly hate. Actually, it’s a lot of hate.

There are morally conscious ways to resell tickets. The number one way is at no more than a 20 percent upcharge or no upcharge at all. If it’s more than that then you’re not a music lover. You don’t care about the people. You’re a capitalistic pig who should be banned from purchasing not only tickets to live events, but even every day purchases like toilet paper and soap.

You are grimy and you deserve it.

What can I say, I don’t like scalpers.

Let me be clear, there is a difference between a scalper and a ticket reseller. If the upcharge is more than 20 percent, you my frenemy, are a scalper. If it’s less, then you are a reseller. We get it, either you couldn’t go or you want to make a super small profit or both. We believe you when you say you have a heart. But when you’re buying up 10 or more seats and trying to make a buck off of an already emotionally unstable soul, your said “heart” turns into a black hole.

The ticket reselling business needs an overhaul because us fangirls are pretty much over it. We are over the anticipation and the huge let down. We are over finding ways to empty out our already empty pockets. We are over being taken advantage of.

We understand that the powers that be are doing what they can to fix the problem. As annoying as the “please select all pictures of trains” is when I go to buy a ticket, I appreciate the fact that you’re trying to prevent the haters from ruining it for every one.

Sometimes, those resellers save the day. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has purchased a ticket to a sold-out show from someone who didn’t want it. But I’ve never bought one for a certain percentage over the original price.

So I say to you fangirls, avoid ticket scalpers. Maybe if enough of us did it, we could drive down the price and eventually change the practice. Although, some of us must already be doing it because major sold-out concerts are happening in arenas that are at least one-third empty. Keep it going. Performers don’t like an empty house.

And I say to you scalpers, stop being so greedy.

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