We live in a free market, and if people want to pay six times their face value, let them. It's their money.
It's not the supply that's the problem, it's the demand. If you don't like it, you can piss off back to Russia, commie.
(rnuk http://flickr.com/rnuk, Sun 17 May 2009, 14:30, archived)

But what about the false demand caused by ticket touts buying a large percentage of the tickets?

( Master Of Turnips. Only gays and morons believe in ghosts., Sun 17 May 2009, 14:31, archived)

I meant the demand from the touts.
If a tout has tickets and people are willing to pay six times the face value, then there is no false demand.
(rnuk http://flickr.com/rnuk, Sun 17 May 2009, 14:35, archived)

So you expect people to not go and see something they really really want to see?
It's not a case of them being "willing" to pay 6 times the face value, it's a case of that's the only way to get the tickets that can often be to a once in a lifetime experience.
( Master Of Turnips. Only gays and morons believe in ghosts., Sun 17 May 2009, 14:38, archived)

Well they obviously are willing,
they have obviously made the value judgment that seeing the show is actually worth more than 6 times the face value. Nobody forces them to go. This is the only sensible definition of market value, unfortunate though it may be.
( Moon Girl Technologies horrendous beanbag, Sun 17 May 2009, 14:40, archived)

It may be a true definition of market value
but most people would consider it "unfair", as arbitrary a definition as that is, and some regulation would make lots of people happier.
(Bazongaloid, Sun 17 May 2009, 14:42, archived)

Right you are, I'm not justifying it.
Although fairness is a pretty messy concept, all things considered.
( Moon Girl Technologies horrendous beanbag, Sun 17 May 2009, 14:43, archived)

The good thing, though,
is that it keeps our concerts free of poor people and their poverty stench.
(MooCow_Byter, Sun 17 May 2009, 14:47, archived)

This is true
I particularly enjoy walking over the proles clamouring outside the venues whenever I go to a concert. I frequently leave part way through or sometimes even before the main act just to see their desolate faces.
(Bazongaloid, Sun 17 May 2009, 14:49, archived)

Exactly.
When you go to see a group of extremely wealthy men and women perform on stage using fantastically expensive equipment, you want to surround yourself with other, similarly rich people. Knowing that the masses outside can't afford such extravagances is half the joy of it.
(MooCow_Byter, Sun 17 May 2009, 14:54, archived)

The free market makes it ideologically acceptable to ruin things for other people,
just because you can.
( Moon Girl Technologies horrendous beanbag, Sun 17 May 2009, 14:34, archived)

It's not right though, because there's no such thing as a free market in this country under normal circumstances, there are regulations
and commmissions which look after consumers. That's why we don't all pay more for water and electricity and so on, but touts aren't regulated. It's an example of how shit a truly free market is.
( Druid, Sun 17 May 2009, 14:35, archived)

I'm not saying I agree with the concept of the free market
I'm just saying as long as there are people willing to pay more for something, there will always be touts.
(rnuk http://flickr.com/rnuk, Sun 17 May 2009, 14:36, archived)

This is correct.
There will always be someone who finds a way to exploit the system for their own ends, no matter how cunty it might be to do so.
( Moon Girl Technologies horrendous beanbag, Sun 17 May 2009, 14:39, archived)

Not if it's properly monitored there won't be.
Unique tickets and ID required on the door would make me happy. If you can't make it, they should issue a refund on the door for unused tickets (minus booking fee), and flog those on the day, first come first served.
( Druid, Sun 17 May 2009, 14:39, archived)