6 Comments
Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com
Garth Brooks and Steve Wynn.
Published Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009 | 3:12 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009 | 5:25 p.m.
Even scalpers have a voice.
Issued this afternoon was an official statement from the National Association of Ticket Brokers, which bills itself as “the non-profit trade association dedicated to protecting consumers and the secondary ticket market,” responding to Steve Wynn’s aggressive efforts to prevent the scalping of tickets to Garth Brooks’ shows at Encore Theater.
In the statement, issued via e-mail, NATB General Counsel Gary Adler, says:
“As a top travel destination, Las Vegas is one of the largest markets for secondary ticket sales. The average visitor can’t always plan their trips around the most popular shows, or track down the best seats as soon as they go on sale.
“Fans hire brokers to help them find the tickets they want, for the price they can pay, or to resell the tickets they can’t use. Wynn has no right to tell these fans ‘hey, tough luck - unless you bought them at our box office within two hours of going on sale then you can’t go to the show.’
“Fans should have the right to buy and sell the tickets they want without having to RSVP their guests or risk cancellation based on new, arbitrary rules.” (Read the full statement here).
At a full ticket price of $143 apiece, Brooks’ first 20 performances sold out in five hours on Saturday as many tickets were scooped up online by brokers attempting to make a profit even 10 times the tickets’ face value. Wynn officials have sent a warning to ticket brokers stating, “It has come to our attention that you are representing yourself as a licensed ticket broker for the purpose of reselling tickets for the Garth Brooks concerts at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas. Please be advised that you have not been authorized as a licensed ticket broker by Wynn Las Vegas, and you are not authorized to resell any Garth Brooks tickets for his concerts at our venue.” Wynn also said his agents reserve the right to cancel any ticket at any time.
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats.
So the scalpers union is upset? How sad...
Wynn and Brooks are private businessmen, selling a private product that is in obvious high demand. There is no "right" to be able to buy or sell a ticket to a private event. Kudos to Brooks and Wynn. This is good for the uber-Garth fans and a too-bad-so-sad for the scalpers.
So I can't buy tickets as a gift for my employees to be given away as a reward or as a prize in a charity raffle or any other condition that might prevent the buyer from being the attender.
So if Steve wants to make this simple transaction complicated, I don't think I will attend while the policy is place.
Now, when is Ronnie Dunn coming to town?
You know with all his money he should be able to buy some bigger jeans. I know how it hurts to let go of the size 29's but it is really not a good look for Steve.
ScottNV - Yes, you may certainly purchase tickets as a give-away or as a gift. You could probably even resell them for face value. (Not sure, though) This issue has to do with ticket brokers reselling the ticket to make a profit.
Thank You to Steve and Garth. Re-selling at a profit does nothing for the industry. Overpaid before and kept wondering why. The scalpers bought off all the excess, so an opportunity for a late arrival buyer to buy at a fair price was not available. Paying the scalpers premium of ticket plus $100, another $35.50 shipping and a $18.50 service charge was stupid. So what changed? Now if we can not buy at the listed price, we do not go. This requires us to plan cetain visits in advance, we enjoy it more and spend much less. Then when playing by the rules Steve/Garth collect and pay the taxes, my $155.00 became tax free income to the scalper, so the scalper does not play under the same rules Steve is required to follow. Scalpers are vultures, Thanks again for taking their food off their table, now they might get a real job and produce something at a fair price.