Goodell Wants To Crack Down On Ticket Scalping

[Pick6TerenceNewman]

GOODELL WANTS TO CRACK DOWN ON TICKET SCALPING

Posted by Michael David Smith on November 19, 2008
The NFL recently announced that it would cut the prices of playoff tickets in an effort to make them more affordable for the average fan.
But cutting ticket prices sometimes just makes them more affordable for scalpers, who turn the NFL’s price-slashing into an increase in their own profits.
So NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league is looking into ways to get tickets directly to fans who will actually attend the games, not to scalpers.
“The reality is that Super Bowl tickets are trading at four to five times face value,” Goodell said, per Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. “One of the big issues that we had in reducing those lower-priced tickets is, do they fall into the wrong hands? Do the scalpers go and take them, and they get the reduced price?
“All they do is get a better margin, which we’re not interested in. . . . We’re trying to figure out how to get the tickets to the fans.”
So how will the league cut scalpers out of the ticket business? Goodell says the NFL is considering having fans register for admission to games and then be admitted to the stadium when they show up with a photo ID.
“It’s difficult and it’s time consuming, but it may be the next step that we need to take is where you actually say, ‘You come to the stadium with your identification, and you’ll get your two tickets after you’re inside the gate,’” Goodell said.
That would make the process of getting into the stadium more difficult, but if it makes tickets cheaper, most fans would probably take that trade-off.


I know that I hate paying 250.00 for a 80.00 face value on a ticket. I really like Goodell and hope he can do something!

 

[NextGenBoys]

Thats pretty much all stub-hub is. I got my tickets for the Thanksgiving game for 190 a piece, and they retail for 80.

If I can find affordable playoff tickets and we get a home game, you bet I'll be down there.

 

[FCBarca]

The day they can stop ticket scalping for the NFL is the day they'll solve scalping for tickets in general...While they're at it, end sports gambling as well

 

[Pick6TerenceNewman]

Thats pretty much all stub-hub is. I got my tickets for the Thanksgiving game for 190 a piece, and they retail for 80.

If I can find affordable playoff tickets and we get a home game, you bet I'll be down there.

For the first Skins game, I paid $250.00 dollars for an $80.00 ticket! All the ticket agencies do it! Then they crush you for delivery.

If they would do what Goodell suggest, I am with you, I'd get playoff tickets.

 

[aikemirv]

Nice idea, needs to be done. I think they could do it easier though.

You buy the tickets with your credit card and you go to a booth at the stadium and swipe your credit card and the tickets print out for you.

It would work like a dream.

 

[theebs]

well for starters they need to cut their ties with stub hub.

And by the way stub hub has been cited as a reason for the new cowboys and yankee stadium tickets.

I hate scalpers and scalping.

I would happily do whatever it takes to eliminate scalpers.

for whatever reason they have been almost completely non existent at the stadium this year.

 

[ETex]

Bad idea IMO Let the free will of the marketplace set the price.

 

[ETex]

Bad idea IMO Let the free will of the marketplace set the price.

BTW Forget stubhub, Ebay is where it's at. When I sell some of my tickets, I start the auction @ face value, then market truly sets the price.

 

[aikemirv]

Bad idea IMO Let the free will of the marketplace set the price.

I understand what you are saying but the marketplace really is what the stadium/team sells them for. There would be no marketplace for scalping if people were not allowed to hoard tickets.

Part of the problem is the cost of the PSL's I think. The average fan would like to recoup a protion of his PSL costs and thus sells some of his season tickets in order to make his others more affordable.

I don't think there would be nearly as many season ticket holders if they went to an ID plan which would effect teams revenue stream. I am not sure the owners would go for all of this because of that fact. They would have to raise the cost of single tickets to make up for the lost revenue of the PSL's.

There is not an easy solution.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

It's a nice idea, in theory. I really don't see how they're going to do much about stopping it.

 

[theogt]

“All they do is get a better margin, which we’re not interested in. . . . We’re trying to figure out how to get the tickets to the fans.”

So who do you think is shelling out the money to the scalpers? The fans. This isn't about getting the tickets to the fans -- that clearly already takes place. This is about getting MORE money to the league and the owners.

So how will the league cut scalpers out of the ticket business? Goodell says the NFL is considering having fans register for admission to games and then be admitted to the stadium when they show up with a photo ID.
“It’s difficult and it’s time consuming, but it may be the next step that we need to take is where you actually say, ‘You come to the stadium with your identification, and you’ll get your two tickets after you’re inside the gate,’” Goodell said.

That's certainly not a solution. Stadiums are difficult to get in and out of as it is.

If I give my tickets to a friend of mine, what happens to him?

 

[Everlastingxxx]

The main reason why i havent been to a game the last two years. Too expensive to buy on ebay or any one of those rip off sites. I am not going to pay 250 for 80 dollar seats, not me.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Set face value for the ticket then auction them off to the highest bidders. Donate everything above face value to charity. The scaplers will have to compete with the people who actually want to go removing their profit margin.

 

[catskillthunder]

For the Giants game on 12/14 I paid $200 per ticket for a face value of $75. Im not complaining because it'll be my first time to Texas Stadium (and last) so it was worth it. But Id like to see something done about the price inflation by places like Stubhub, etc.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

I don't see anything wrong with scalping seems like wealth distribution at it's finest.

 

[Pick6TerenceNewman]

The main reason why i havent been to a game the last two years. Too expensive to buy on ebay or any one of those rip off sites. I am not going to pay 250 for 80 dollar seats, not me.

That sucks!

 

[jackrussell]

Here's the thing. My wife and I flew to Texas from '95-'97, 10 day to 2 week vacations each time so we could see 2 games.

Back then, the policy to buy a regular game season ticket was you had to buy a preseason game ticket also. I don't know if it's the same policy now.

So the first year I bought the required '4 pack' for the first game. I had a friend who supposedly was going to get us tickets for the next week because he knew Eddie DeBartalo.

Don't remember the exact price, but let's say at the time they were $50 each. I had to buy 2 preseaon in which I would not attend, and 2 regular game seats. Equals $200 for 2 people for basically one game. They weren't bad seats, not great either...we called it the 'Emmitt Zone', section 22, row 22, seats 21 & 22.

The Debartalo thing fell threw for the next week. I met someone that charged us, you guessed it, $200 for the 2 of us to watch the game from the Stadium Club. End zone yes, but he bought our first drinks, and they had a short skirted girl walking around with free samples of some crappy glitter Schnapps. We also got to partake in the prime rib buffet for free.

So in essence, while he marked up the price by 100%, we paid the same as we would have going the legal route.

The subsequent years we flew down with no tickets in hand, got some great seats for a little more, also got some seats at less than face value.

I guess you could say we were fortunate in meeting the right person, but I've made some sweet deals in other cities too. Same way with concert seats, you just have to know how to work it. I'm of the belief I'd rather pay more for a great seat, than less for a crappy one.

That's just me though.

 

[WarC]

The day they can stop ticket scalping for the NFL is the day they'll solve scalping for tickets in general...While they're at it, end sports gambling as well

and cancer. and aids. and diabetes, too.




its a free market economy, and people will supply the demand and demand a supply. scalpers will always be there, and the day there are no scalpers will be the day no one wants to watch a football game in person anymore!