Ticket scalper crackdown

[razor787]

I doubt the FO will do anything about it, but they should really crack down on ticket scalpers. If they ask the police to start going after them, then things would get a lot better in the supporters sections, and BMO would make a lot more money.

The best time to do it, would be next season, at the first match. All scalpers selling tickets get them taken, and given a warning, and get their season package revoked the next time they do it, or they get their seasons revoked right there on the spot.

If they do that, then they would have already gotten the money from the tickets when they bought the package, and then they can re-sell them later, since they revoked the guys ticket package.

Would definately kill off the scalping, atleast infront of the staduim.

Thoughts?

[Yeoman]

i always have my season seat for sale, just because i keep getting stuff in 112
does that mean i'm a scalper?

[razor787]

No. Selling tickets at cost is fine, but those who buy the seasons, and then resell for a markup, is not fine.

[DangerRed]

Scalpers benefit TFC ownership because they create an artificially high pre-game demand for tickets. Scalpers buy season packages by the fistful, and then MLSE gets to say there's a 1,000,000-person waiting list for season seats and that every game is sold out (even though there are plenty empty seats each time).

They also create an active after-market for tickets, which benefits MLSE, since for any person to get into the stadium, someone at some point must have paid for a ticket. But that's only part of it: any person through the gate, whether legitimate or via scalper ticket, is a potential buyer of beer, food and merch, all of which benefit MLSE.

For the above reasons, LSE has no incentive to crack down on scalpers.

[Yeoman]

so you mean how there's been scalpers out there that have been having to sell their tickets at below costs at games this year just to make some money, really aren't sclapers then?

[Mark in Ottawa]

I doubt the FO will do anything about it, but they should really crack down on ticket scalpers. If they ask the police to start going after them, then things would get a lot better in the supporters sections, and BMO would make a lot more money.

The best time to do it, would be next season, at the first match. All scalpers selling tickets get them taken, and given a warning, and get their season package revoked the next time they do it, or they get their seasons revoked right there on the spot.

If they do that, then they would have already gotten the money from the tickets when they bought the package, and then they can re-sell them later, since they revoked the guys ticket package.

Would definately kill off the scalping, atleast infront of the staduim.

Thoughts?
This has been discussed to death.
While buying a scalped ticket is illegal in Ontario as well as selling one...
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90t07_e.htm

This is seen as a "victimless" crime and low priority for law enforcement.
ML$E does not care as the tickets have already been sold and they have their profit and potentially an artificial shortage of tickets which makes their product look desireable.

The solution is for the supporters groups to purchase tickets in blocks and ensure that supporters can get the tickets at cost.

The main problem is that this will not stop scalping as alternate ticket selling avenues (E-bay, craigslist etc... ) from existing.

[Belfast_Boy]

i always have my season seat for sale, just because i keep getting stuff in 112
does that mean i'm a scalper?


I've often wondered this.

there seems to be a big hate on for scalpers among members but lots of people sell off seats.
even selling at face value makes a profit on the cost of seasons tickets. are they just pissed off at the guys that sell outside, but internet sales are ok?

it did bother me that people had multiple seats. but at the end of the day I get to all the games I want so it's not such a big deal anymore.

[jaxul]

No. Selling tickets at cost is fine, but those who buy the seasons, and then resell for a markup, is not fine.

Fewer and fewer people (if any) are able to sell overpriced tickets nowadays. Anyone can get them at or below cost up to and including game day. One exception when scalpers may get their way is when the NYRB will come to town. I don't think scalpers are the main problem. The FO should get their shit in order when it comes to supporter section tix.

[Mark in Ottawa]

The FO should get their shit in order when it comes to supporter section tix.
^^ +1

[Yeoman]

why would they? those are the cheap seats
they've got the mid 120's to worry about first

[nfitz]

No. Selling tickets at cost is fine, but those who buy the seasons, and then resell for a markup, is not fine.Most supporters seem to sell at face.

In yellow, seasons were $323. However, the face value of the 18 tickets is $564 ... that's a 75% profit if just selling at face. If you don't sell Bolton, it's still $512 face ... a 59% profit.

So if 75% profit isn't scalping ... how much profit do you have to make before it becomes scalping?

[prizby]

enough of this MLSE doesn't care crap...didn't Paul Beirne say on Its Called Football that we are the one's that can drive scalpers away...all you have to do is buy a ticket above face value than report it to a nearby cop, then the cop can act on it...but until then, there really isn't much they can do

[Detroit_TFC]

The empty seats this season make me think this problem may work itself out. Look for a raft of STs to not be renewed by scalpers or the people who turn around and sell them to scalpers. They'll bail at the first chance they get if they think the market's gone soft.

The big question is whether the people languishing on the waiting lists will still be interested in getting them.

[Mango Kid]

I think that "waiting list" is about as real as the Loch Ness Monster. I've had friends who went on last summer and find themselves with full season's tickets this summer despite the oft cited 15,000+ figure.

Lies, I say.

[Voodooman]

I think that "waiting list" is about as real as the Loch Ness Monster. I've had friends who went on last summer and find themselves with full season's tickets this summer despite the oft cited 15,000+ figure.

Lies, I say.

Ive been on waiting list since year one, and only seats I can get are the extremly exspenive ones.

[sully]

I think that "waiting list" is about as real as the Loch Ness Monster. I've had friends who went on last summer and find themselves with full season's tickets this summer despite the oft cited 15,000+ figure.

Lies, I say.

I don't think it's lies, I think it's more of an embelleshment of the truth. For example, I was on that 15,000 waiting list 'cos in the first year I ticked a box without thinking much about it...it was convenient and easy to just tick. I was offered additional tickets last year but turned then down because I never had any intention anyway. I wonder if my experience is typical? Also, the unreasonable prices outside the goal ends and peripheral parts of the stadium would have taken a big chunk of that "15,000" interest away..

[Stencils]

Also, the unreasonable prices outside the goal ends and peripheral parts of the stadium would have taken a big chunk of that "15,000" interest away..

Yeah, this.

I think a lot of people get on the list after seeing seasons prices for the supporters sections. Then, when they come up for a shot at getting tickets and are offered the dark red $1400 a seat nonsense they sit out another round and wait.

[Mark in Ottawa]

I think a lot of people get on the list after seeing seasons prices for the supporters sections. Then, when they come up for a shot at getting tickets and are offered the dark red $1400 a seat nonsense they sit out another round and wait.
^^ True.

And then there are fans like the 75 Mile Bastards... we get to as many games as we can but every game is an away game for us and that can get expensive.

So we go on the waiting list... get offered a full season at top cost which we turn down as many have... eventually get offered a "ransom pack" containing tickets we will never use (some bite to get on the gold list and others decline again)... eventually get offered a partial pack (which suits me fine in my financial situation) and we buy and are happy to stay at that price point.

With the limiting of numbers of tickets available per person implemented a while back there may be many names on the list duplicated. And thre are probably a large number of people simply waiting... in hope that some day the season tickets that they want/can afford will become available.

[rocker]

i think there's still a good portion of snobs and corporate types who got on board after the Beckham signing who may be finally giving up their season seats this fall.
I am surrounded by some of these chumps right now (the guys who show up in the 20th and leave in the 80th). They have never really been TFC fans... more like disinterested observers hoping for better. At one halftime recently they were chatting, and one guy said "This time I'm not renewing guys.. sorry."
good riddance!
They've not shown up at all (6 guys) for half the games. They are clearly rich dudes who were hoping MLS would be La Liga or something... and because they have the dough, they've kept renewing for the hell of it. But that's gonna change soon.

[nascarguy]

I really do not know if I will get season ticket next year the ticket are 320 now. I do know if I will have the money when they go up for next season

[TFC115]

I really think if they ever expand BMO, that the only way that they will sell those tickets if there is a another supporter section. I know tons of people that would only buy tickets in the supporter section for a) the cost and b) the atmosphere.