Scalping Tickets for Profit Soon Could Be Illegal
01.19.2010 by Elizabeth Ziegler
(KCPW News) State Representative Lynn Hemingway is hoping to take the pain out of purchasing re-sold tickets. The Salt Lake County Democrat says he’s never bought a scalped ticket before, but he knows what it’s like to be ripped off.
“Several years ago I went to the Superbowl, and I bought a ticket through a ticket broker, and I felt like I was getting scalped,” Hemingway said.
He is sponsoring a bill for a constituent who’s frustrated with paying two to three times the price for popular shows that sell out fast.
The bill prohibits selling a ticket for a sports event or concert for more than the original price plus a “reasonable service charge,” defined as $10 or 15 percent of the price. Each scalped ticket could result in a Class C misdemeanor, similar to a traffic ticket. Hemingway says working people can’t wait in line for tickets, and shouldn’t have to pay scalpers’ inflated prices.
“I got to thinking about people going to things, big-time deals, like the Disney on Ice, or things like that, and not able to get to a place to buy a ticket,” Hemingway says. “You know, line up at midnight and wait until they start selling the tickets, and having to buy a ticket from someone for twice the price and the possibility of disappointing their kids.”
A similar proposal failed to gain support in the Legislature during the late 90s. The legislative session begins Monday, January 25.
the super bowl is a bad example even the NFL brokers their tickets for thsi event nflonlocation.net. That being said there are very few Utah events that sell out except for big big name concerts and maybe if the Jazz play Cleveland or Los Angeles. I have no idea why a legislature would want to restrict a vibrant tax paying open market like the secondary ticket industry
He’s complaining about paying above face value for a SUPER BOWL ticket? He does realize that it perhaps the most sought after ticket on the planet right?
And then later mentions Disney on Ice being a tough ticket? Congrats Salt Lake County Democrats…you have elected a complete moron into office.