OKC council rescinds anti-scalping ordinances?

[SoonerDave]

Was hearing on the radio today that the OKC council has approved an emergency resolution to rescind all the current anti-scalping ordinances presently on the books..??

Is this true, its GREAT NEWS!

Can anyone confirm?

[Midtowner]

Thanks for the heads up. I'm actually defending a scalping case right now, so this is good stuff.

The resolution which passed will make scalping legal anywhere except for a buffer zone around the CHK Arena.

http://www.okc.gov/AgendaPub/cache/2...2034824109.PDF

[Cocaine]

That is just odd.

[oneforone]

The way I understand it a no ticket sales zone has been placed around the arena.

I don't see an issue with scalping. Let people take the chance of buying fake tickets or pay overinflated prices.

[SoonerDave]

The way I understand it a no ticket sales zone has been placed around the arena.

I don't see an issue with scalping. Let people take the chance of buying fake tickets or pay overinflated prices.

Not overinflated if you find a willing seller/buyer. I don't like paying over face more than anyone else, but if its a popular event, that's how she rolls. And I'm certainly no scalper myself, but usually have to look to secondary market when I do want tix to something...


Buffet zone is to prevent pedestrian congestion around arena, I think...

[dcsooner]

This is intended to keep ticket sales high because speculators will purchase a certain number of tickets on hopes of making a profit. It also will support maintenance of ticket demand due to limited availablity. Ticket scalping for sports and other events is routinely done here in Washington and is really not a bad concept because it allows those willing to pay a premium to see an event if tickets a not available through traditional outlets

[Midtowner]

Buffet zone is to prevent pedestrian congestion around arena, I think...

Not really. It's more that the ticket office didn't want scalpers standing right outside it. They wanted a buffer. At least that's what they said at the council meeting.

[Larry OKC]

If a ticket is really worth what the scalper gets, then why was it sold for a lesser value to begin with?

[Snowman]

This is intended to keep ticket sales high because speculators will purchase a certain number of tickets on hopes of making a profit. It also will support maintenance of ticket demand due to limited availablity. Ticket scalping for sports and other events is routinely done here in Washington and is really not a bad concept because it allows those willing to pay a premium to see an event if tickets a not available through traditional outlets

It is reaching an absurd point though, day 1 of concert openings the box office is sold out and hundreds of tickets are for sale more than double the face value.

[SoonerDave]

It is reaching an absurd point though, day 1 of concert openings the box office is sold out and hundreds of tickets are for sale more than double the face value.

Understand, but I think that's a separate issue IMHO.

I have a rough recollection of a story a few years back where (i *think*) an MLB team sold out all its tickets to a playoff game reseller that ended up being shown as a shadow subsidiary of itself, meaning that all the profit rolled uphill to the same ownership group. In effect, the team sold the tickets at face value to itself, then started reselling them again on the secondary market at a huge markup....of course, that begs the question why not sell them at the higher price to begin with, which suggests to me there was (a lot) more afoot than just scalping tickets, but that goes back to not remembering the details completely.

[BoulderSooner]

Not really. It's more that the ticket office didn't want scalpers standing right outside it. They wanted a buffer. At least that's what they said at the council meeting.

they also said that it was to keep the scalpers away from the "family" atmosphere of thunder alley

[BoulderSooner]

Understand, but I think that's a separate issue IMHO.

I have a rough recollection of a story a few years back where (i *think*) an MLB team sold out all its tickets to a playoff game reseller that ended up being shown as a shadow subsidiary of itself, meaning that all the profit rolled uphill to the same ownership group. In effect, the team sold the tickets at face value to itself, then started reselling them again on the secondary market at a huge markup....of course, that begs the question why not sell them at the higher price to begin with, which suggests to me there was (a lot) more afoot than just scalping tickets, but that goes back to not remembering the details completely.

the cubs among other mlb team do this all the time for some of their high dollar seats for select games...

[Larry OKC]

It is reaching an absurd point though, day 1 of concert openings the box office is sold out and hundreds of tickets are for sale more than double the face value.

How about in seconds...
http://tasteofcountry.com/garth-broo...pede-sold-out/

[jedicurt]

How about in seconds...
http://tasteofcountry.com/garth-broo...pede-sold-out/

i've always been curious as to why there was not a set limit as to how many tickets a person or group could buy. And then strictly enforce that limit. I understand that will never happen cause companies purchase hundreds if not thousands of tickets at a time to events, and to strictly enforce it, you would have to hold them to the same standard.

[Larry OKC]

The scalping ban should have been kept in place and NO exceptions made for sites (even ones owned by the teams)

[BoulderSooner]

The scalping ban should have been kept in place and NO exceptions made for sites (even ones owned by the teams)

So no free market. And you understand that if someone lived outside Okc it would still be legal for them in person or online

[Doug Loudenback]

Midtowner is correct about the reason given at the city council meeting. But the buffer zone is fairly small. Cross Robinson to the west and anywhere other than the footprint of the arena and also north of the arena on the south side of the convention center and sales are lawful. The ordinance change passed unanimously.

[Larry OKC]

So no free market. And you understand that if someone lived outside Okc it would still be legal for them in person or online

Free market is still in place, the ticket prices are determined (face value), you are talking about a secondary free market when you get into scalping. It is not illegal for a someone in OKC to buy online, just not in the buffer zone. Interesting to know if they purchased those online tickets while standing in the buffer zone if they would be in violation???

[Bullbear]

I say Buyer beware but allow the free market. it is only fair since artists and teams themselves routinely scalp tickets. Many artists have been frustrated with scalpers making money off their event tickets so have started having companies like Stub-Hub ect scalp them for profit for the artist. So if its good for the goose it is good for the gander. I am an avid Concert Fan and got to shows constantly all over the US and I rarely buy a ticket from scalper sources. I use fanclub and event venue presales to get all mine. With the FAST TICKET options it is way to easy to get a duplicate ticket and in those cases the first ticket through the venue gates gets in and everyone else is turned away. I like how Madonna handles the ticket scalping by adding dates to sold out shows until the event no longer sells out. this reduces demand for tickets and leaves scalpers holding some high dollar tickets when they don't sell.

[Snowman]

i've always been curious as to why there was not a set limit as to how many tickets a person or group could buy. And then strictly enforce that limit. I understand that will never happen cause companies purchase hundreds if not thousands of tickets at a time to events, and to strictly enforce it, you would have to hold them to the same standard.

there has been ticket limits for years, they used to get around it by having people stand in line and get the tickets for them. With the internet it is even easier for them to clear out the box office. The only way I have heard of that effectively blocks them is the e-tickets that are non transferable, so you may use it or get a refund but not sell it to a 3rd party.

[SoonerDave]

Free market is still in place, the ticket prices are determined (face value), you are talking about a secondary free market when you get into scalping. It is not illegal for a someone in OKC to buy online, just not in the buffer zone. Interesting to know if they purchased those online tickets while standing in the buffer zone if they would be in violation???

Do you not understand that you're contradicting yourself? YOu can't say "free market" while saying "ticket prices are determined (by) face value", because the *market* drives the prices, not the ink on the face of the ticket. With that logic, I should be able to start a crusade to sell my eight year old car for what I paid for it when I bought it!

It is a *great* thing that these antiquated scalping ordinance(s) have been abolished. Mind you, I don't like scalpers per se more than anyone else, but its better to at least get more tickets for popular events to circulate, and not turn average folks who are just trying to unload an extra ticket or two into criminals.

[BoulderSooner]

Free market is still in place, the ticket prices are determined (face value), you are talking about a secondary free market when you get into scalping. It is not illegal for a someone in OKC to buy online, just not in the buffer zone. Interesting to know if they purchased those online tickets while standing in the buffer zone if they would be in violation???

do you think there should be a limit on used car prices??

[Larry OKC]

I say Buyer beware but allow the free market. it is only fair since artists and teams themselves routinely scalp tickets. Many artists have been frustrated with scalpers making money off their event tickets so have started having companies like Stub-Hub ect scalp them for profit for the artist. So if its good for the goose it is good for the gander. I am an avid Concert Fan and got to shows constantly all over the US and I rarely buy a ticket from scalper sources. I use fanclub and event venue presales to get all mine. With the FAST TICKET options it is way to easy to get a duplicate ticket and in those cases the first ticket through the venue gates gets in and everyone else is turned away. I like how Madonna handles the ticket scalping by adding dates to sold out shows until the event no longer sells out. this reduces demand for tickets and leaves scalpers holding some high dollar tickets when they don't sell.

What would be fair is to ban the artist and teams from doing it too. (and that may be a factor here, it is considered another revenue stream for them).

[Snowman]

do you think there should be a limit on used car prices??

tickets for a one time event and used cars that can run for years after purchase, clearly not apples to oranges comparison.

[Larry OKC]

Do you not understand that you're contradicting yourself? YOu can't say "free market" while saying "ticket prices are determined (by) face value", because the *market* drives the prices, not the ink on the face of the ticket. With that logic, I should be able to start a crusade to sell my eight year old car for what I paid for it when I bought it!

It is a *great* thing that these antiquated scalping ordinance(s) have been abolished. Mind you, I don't like scalpers per se more than anyone else, but its better to at least get more tickets for popular events to circulate, and not turn average folks who are just trying to unload an extra ticket or two into criminals.

Where is the contradiction? The free market determines the face value the promoter/artist/team decides to place on the tickets.

do you think there should be a limit on used car prices??

A used car (or any piece of used personal property) is a different matter entirely. Most things depreciate in value as soon as they become used. Unless your car is a classic/antique, how likely is it you are going to be able to get more than what you paid for it? So, yes, there should be a limit on it. And if you can get the face value off of a concert ticket after the event is over, so be it. there are exceptions but for the most part a ticket is worthless once the event is over. But when it comes to the event itself, face value is face value. Again, if the scalper price is the real value, then why isn't it priced that way to begin with? Every year there is some must-have toy. Demand is huge but supply is low. Does the manufacturer increase production or raise the price to the store? Or does the store raise their price? Nope, they sell it for "face value" and then people go nuts paying multiple times more for it. Think of the multi-millions the Tickle Me Elmo folks lost out on.