scalpers
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Ticketmaster caught enlisting pro scalpers for online resales (updated)
Ticketmaster claims it's fighting scalpers tooth and nail, but it may be aiding them in private. Exposés at CBC News and the Toronto Star have shown the company courting professional scalpers, even when it's clear they're using bots or otherwise violating Ticketmaster's terms of service. The company quietly launched a secretive ticket inventory system, TradeDesk, that lets scalpers upload high volumes of tickets and quickly resell them at the price of their choice. Moreover, Ticketmaster salespeople caught on camera were adamant that they didn't verify whether or not TradeDesk users were violating terms of service, including the use of bots -- at least one rep was fully aware of the activity.
London venue is first to eradicate touts with digital-only tickets
Touts are something you'll no longer see roaming the pavements outside of London's Islington Assembly Hall. The music venue has become the first in the UK to commit entirely to digital tickets, all of which will be sold through mobile app Dice. Tickets are inextricably linked to the Dice app, so they can't be posted on resale sites or flogged to touts. That works in your favour, of course, because you'll only ever pay list price. Just make sure you don't drain your battery organising pre-drinks with the squad.
Feed the Taylor Swift hype machine for a better chance at tickets
Buying tickets to a play or concert online is an absolutely terrible experience these days. Between fighting bots and ridiculous handling fees, fans get the short end of the stick when they can't make it to the venue to buy direct. Taylor Swift is partnering with Ticketmaster and its Verified Fan program to sidestep some of that frustration with Taylor Swift Tix.
'Hamilton' battles ticket bots with a hand from Ticketmaster
The people behind Hamilton aren't just counting on laws to combat ticket bots -- they're enlisting the help of the ticket providers as well. Ticketmaster has revealed that it will use its recent Verified Fan feature to give you a better chance of seeing Hamilton, the Schuyler sisters and Burr strut on a Broadway stage between March and August 2018. As with other Verified Fan plays, like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the process has fans registering on a website to signal their interest -- Ticketmaster then combs over registrations based on data and sends codes via text message to those who pass scrutiny.
UK to make online ticket-buying bots illegal
A new amendment slipped into the Digital Economy Bill, which is now pretty close to becoming UK law, would make the use of online tout bots that hoover up tickets to popular music, sport and other events a criminal offense punishable by unlimited fines (but not imprisonment). Websites typically limit the number of tickets an individual can buy for obvious reasons, but computerized tools that circumvent these caps allow scalpers to buy more than their fair share, if there is such a thing in this context.
NY Governor Cuomo signs bill outlawing online scalpers
Getting tickets to Beyoncé and Hamilton is already hard enough but it can be nearly impossible if you're competing against the automated purchasers used by 21st century scalpers. These so-called "ticket bots" are specifically designed to get around the strict per-customer purchase limits on sites like TicketMaster and LiveNation, allowing a small handful of individuals to buy a lion's share of a show and then offer them on the resale market for a massive profit. But that's no longer the case in New York where, governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed legislation banning these robots.
'Hamilton' creator Miranda joins the fight against ticket bots
Hate that ticket bots robbed you of a chance to see that big concert or musical? So does Lin-Manuel Miranda. The Hamilton author is teaming up with Senator Charles Schumer to promote a proposed federal bill, the Better Online Ticket Sales Act (BOTS Act, geddit?), that would fine bot users $16,000 for every ticket they sell. That's far harsher than in Schumer's own New York state, where a recently passed law tops out at a $1,000 total fine and no more than a year in prison. Miranda is coming aboard as proof that these bots can do real damage -- scalpers made roughly $15.5 million from Hamilton alone, and jacked prices from $189 to as much as $2,000. It'd also start a task force that would detect these bootleggers.
New York criminalizes the use of ticket-buying bots
If you failed to get tickets for your favorite band, even though your finger was poised on the "buy" link the instant they went on sale, don't worry -- you never stood a chance. They were probably snapped up by bots that, in one case, bought 1,012 Madison Square Garden U2 tickets in less than a minute. The state of New York has declared that scalpers who use them could get fines and even jail time. "New Yorkers have been dealing with this frustrating ticket buying experience for too long," says state assembly member Marcos Crespie.
NY Attorney General takes aim at high-tech ticket scalpers
The state of New York has been known to take the lead on matters of consumer protection, and it looks like Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will do so once more. Schneiderman's office released a report titled "Obstructed View: What's Blocking New Yorkers from Getting Tickets" that details the "fixed game" of trying to secure admission to high-profile events. Following a three-year investigation, the report discusses an online ticketing business where brokers are use bots and other tech to nab loads of tickets in seconds. Of course, those tickets are then resold at higher prices based on demand.
Oculus VR suspends Rift sales in China due to scalpers
Despite hardware refinements and positive impressions, the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is not yet intended for consumers. That hasn't stopped VR enthusiasts from wanting to snatch up the device ASAP though, and where there is demand, there will be people seeking (not always legitimate) supply. Such is unfortunately the case with China, where Oculus has suspended sales of the Dev Kit 2 version of the Rift due to what a company representative called "extreme reseller purchases." "We need to make sure that we are doing what we can to make sure that resellers that are looking to flip our product for a profit are not taking stock away from legitimate developer purchases globally," the Oculus rep wrote. "Our product, in its current form, is a developer kit, meant for developers that develop VR content. We are looking into alternative ways to make sure that our development kits are getting into legitimate developer hands in China." When asked just how bad the reselling situation was, the rep responded, "We were forced to suspend an entire country from purchasing. I'll let you put two and two together." So ... not good? [Image: Oculus]
Scalpers greet iPad mini launch in Beijing
In the past when new Apple products have been released in mainland China, near-riots have taken place at Apple Stores when crowds of legitimate customers and groups of scalpers have descended upon the stores to grab the limited stock of new product. Apple instituted a system called iReserve to quell the crowds and make sure that legitimate purchasers can get their new goodies -- but a Wall Street Journal China Real Time Report post shows that scalpers are still getting the bulk of newly released products. A Wall Street Journal reporter saw a herd of scalpers (see picture above) standing by collecting iPad minis -- which went on sale today in the mainland -- from Chinese customers in exchange for cold, hard cash. The reporter was trying to film the scene, and was then surrounded by angry scalpers who were upset with the "invasion of their privacy." The reporter responded that they were doing business in a public place, after which point they began to "kick, swat and push him as Apple and mall security stood by." Despite the action at the Sanlitun Village mall in Beijing, many iPad fans were able to get their hands on the new device. Apple currently has a 71.4 percent market share in China, with Samsung -- makers of the rival Galaxy Note -- at a distant 3.5 percent share.
TechCrunch looks at Apple's fight against the grey market in China
M.I.C. Gadget has an interesting post on Apple's efforts to reduce the influx of iPhones into the grey market with its new Shenzhen store. For years, Apple has been battling scalpers who either illegally import iPhones or buy them in bulk from Apple retail stores and resell them at a profit in mainland China. These professional scalpers have disrupted launches and forced Apple to include barricades, hundreds of police officers, teams of security officers and extra management. Apple is allegedly changing its internal management strategy and its ordering system to better handle this scalper problem. The company has supposedly brought in security specialists who are training staff to recognize problem situations before they rise. It's also working closely with public law enforcement, who can provide extra security if needed. Apple also modified its ordering system so scalpers can't flood its website with orders. Apple now keeps limited stock of iPhones on hand and uses a reservation ordering system to control the flow of outgoing handsets. You can read more about Apple's efforts and the scalping problem facing its new Shenzhen store in the article on M.I.C. Gadget. [Via TechCrunch]
Apple to would-be iPad scalpers: don't queue up outside
To avoid the near riot that rocked the iPhone 4S launch in China, Apple is telling Hong Kong iPad scalpers that lines are not allowed, says a report from The Next Web. Apple's note confirms that it won't be selling the iPad on a first-come, first-served basis in Hong Kong this Friday. Instead, Apple will use a reservation system that requires customers to sign up in advance and show a government-issued photo ID before they can buy an iPad. This is doing little to dissuade the determined scalpers who are keen to circumvent Apple's order reservation system. Scalpers will likely arrange in advance to have people buy the iPad for them or offer to buy an iPad from customers as they leave the Apple Store. Apple can't stop scalpers from obtaining iPads using those methods, but it's doing what it can to protect its employees by dissuading the formation of lines.
Apple Hong Kong combats scalpers with iPhone lottery
Scalping of iPhones is a huge problem in both mainland China and Hong Kong. Scalpers, who will buy the iPhones at stores and then resell them at inflated prices, have exploited both the online and brick-and-mortar availability of the iPhone 4 and 4S and prevented non-scalping customers from having easy access to the devices. The overwhelming prevalence of scalpers in line at the iPhone 4S launch in China caused Apple to scrub the launch at its Beijing store, and the scalpers nearly rioted. According to Electronista, Apple has apparently had enough of the situation and has instituted measures to combat these scalpers. Earlier this month, Apple suspended in-store sales of the iPhone 4S throughout mainland China, and that policy has been expanded to Hong Kong. Apple's online Hong Kong store has instituted a lottery system designed to prevent scalpers from using automated services to make online reservations. Prospective buyers have only a three-hour window to enter the lottery; winners are notified later in the day and required to pick up the reserved iPhone the next day. Stricter identification standards are in force, including a requirement for a government-issued photo ID. Time will tell if this will thwart scalpers and give everyone else fair and easy access to iPhones in China and Hong Kong. It's a fair bet that the scalpers are already looking for ways to defeat or exploit the lottery system.
iPhone 4S launch in China draws large crowds, unnecessary violence and SWAT teams (video)
No Apple product launch is complete without long lines, frustration and utter exhaustion. Unfortunately, the arrival of the iPhone 4S has escalated this reality to a new level in China. We're now reading reports of fights breaking out between competing gangs of scalpers in the country, each hoping to get their hands on large quantities of Cupertino's latest smartphone. The conflicts have been significant enough to attract the attention of Chinese police, and we now hear that the Apple Store in Beijing is keeping its doors locked in attempt to make the crowds leave. While we've yet to hear of any significant injuries, it seems the company's storefront is now coated with plenty of eggs. If you're interested to keep track of the unfortunate situation, you'll find more coverage below and a video after the break.
Chinese scalpers use app for bulk iPhone purchases
Need to anonymously purchase and scramble a bunch of iPhones as quickly as possible after they go on sale in China? There's an app for that, but it's not what you think. MicGadget has a quick walkthrough of a Windows app in Chinese that iPhone scalpers in that country apparently use to purchase and obtain iPhones for the grey and black markets. The way it works is that a scalper sets up a series of users with this Windows app (which is mostly in Chinese as you can see above) that is preloaded with credit card and booking information, and alerts the user when iPhone sales go live, so they can snap an iPhone up as quickly as possible. I presume this is all legal in some technical fashion, or at least, even if Apple did want to prevent sales like this, it would have a hard time telling which online purchases were coming from legitimate buyers and which were from this software. There must be a fair amount of money in this as well -- the person who posted pictures of this software apparently wanted to hire more workers to buy these iPhones for him or her. And this is exactly the kind of tool that caused such a frenzy at the recent Hong Kong iPhone 4S sale. Apple is continuing to try to meet demand in Asia, but software like this shows the company has a little way to go. This seems like a pretty simple tool, but the fact that scalpers have operations this complex at all means that there's a lot more room for Apple's official sales to grow overseas.
PSA: Scalpers selling fake PAX badges
Look alive, PAX attendees! Scalpers are selling fake badges this year, marked with the number 33880. If you picked up a badge from that charming young man on the sidewalk this morning, check your numbers and always remember what mommy told you: Don't talk to strangers; especially strangers who want to sell you something. @Official_PAX sent out the warning via Twitter, asking people to retweet the message. Together, we can save some poor saps from a scam.
BlizzCon tickets: how it went, and what's next
Yes, if you were around on Saturday, you know that the first round of BlizzCon tickets sold out, and sold out fast. Tickets went on sale right around 10am PST (which was 1pm EST), and sold out just about 28 minutes later. If the queue numbers are trustworthy, over 21,000 people (we've heard as high as 25,000 at a time) logged in to buy tickets that day, and from unconfirmed reports around the web, it seems like about 5,000 to 8,000 tickets were sold: most people who got in line around number 5,000 were able to pick a ticket up, and that was a few minutes in already. Some of those people are already selling tickets on eBay as well.We believe (though aren't sure) that they'll be selling more than 15,000 tickets this year, since that's what they sold last year and they're using even more of the convention space. If that's true, then Blizzard probably went through only about half of the tickets, and will sell the rest during the second session on the 30th. But that's probably not much of a consolation -- given the frenzy around this last Saturday, there'll probably be more people trying for tickets, and given the prices on eBay, possibly more scalpers clogging up the queue. We'll see.Update: Lots of people point out, rightly so, that I missed something in my guesstimates of how many tickets were sold: you could purchase up to five. My personal guess is that the majority of people bought only one or two, but even if you go with three as the average, 5,000-8,000 people in the queue is actually 15,000-24,000 tickets. Blizzard probably did sell the majority of tickets on Saturday then, not just half. So the process on May 30th will presumably go even faster.BlizzCon 2009 is coming up on August 21st and 22nd! We've got all the latest news and information. At BlizzCon you can play the latest games, meet your guildmates, and ask the developers your questions. Plus, there's some great looking costumes.
BlizzCon tickets already on eBay
The first batch of tickets to this year's BlizzCon in Anaheim sold out less than thirty minutes after they became available on Blizzard's Battle.Net store. While some buyers included sincere conference attendees such as our own Matt Low, the latest crop of goods over at eBay might provide another insight as to why the tickets fizzled so fast. A quick scan of BlizzCon items already include the goody bags from the August event, highlighted by Grunty, the Murloc Marine. Some are also selling tickets outright, with some auctions already going over $800.It's a testament to the popularity of Blizzard and their games that the first wave of BlizzCon tickets has sold out yet again this year, and damning evidence of the lengths some people will go to make a buck. In this frazzled economy, who can blame them? Grunty, the Murloc Marine, that's who! Grunty doesn't appreciate being put in the black market like some dead fish! At any rate, congratulations to those of you who were able to score tickets (and actually plan on using them). The good news is that the rest of us who clicked too slowly this round can look forward to another wave of tickets on the 30th. The bad news is that those scalpers are going to be waiting to click right along with us.
Wii games have superior resale value
Once the current economic crisis really takes hold and you have to sell your Wii collection* just to afford this month's supply of baked beans and ramen, be thankful that Wii games officially attract the highest resale prices. See, things aren't so glum!A poll conducted by the stat-tastic VideoGamePriceCharts.com has discovered that Wii software carries the lowest margin of loss when resold, losing on average 25.4% of its original MSRP. At the other end of the table, Xbox 360 owners typically lose 37.2% of their initial outlay whenever they resell a brown and gray futuristic shooter. Not only that, but Nintendo-published games are also high in resale value -- out of 45 publishers, only Bethesda's games are sold on for more. We suspect Wii Fit may have skewed the results somewhat, but all the same: yay!Make the jump for the publisher charts!* You did sell all of the family first, right?
