Non-transferable tickets

If you are organising a pop concert or any form of entertainment then how would you like the systems to work? Do you want genuine fans to get the tickets? Do you want to make a reasonable or even a good profit? Would you like ticket allocation to be fair to all? Do you want to control the merchandise so that you know they are good quality and at the right price?

Now think of another system, but in this one you get an underworld of wheeler-dealing. There are unscrupulous businesses that don't pay taxes and rip people off. The bona fide entertainment manager has no control of profits or where the tickets go. It doesn't matter if you are a genuine fan who goes to genuine efforts to get that ticket. What does matter is that you know a man who has contacts and that you have plenty of money.

The reason why I am writing this blog is because there was a comment today (13th July) on the BBC's Working Lunch that took my attention. Declan Curry thought that concert tickets were non-transferable. The answer was that tickets were definitely transferable except when the tickets have your name on. I would question whether these tickets are transferable. I have read that my tickets were non-transferable as I walked past the touts selling similar tickets. The point is that the interests of the honest promoter are undermined by ticket touts.

It was suggested that fans could buy unwanted tickets at a cheaper price and it is a win-win situation. I would suggest that a new unregulated business has been set up and touting only works when they make money. Genuine fans lose out. I want a system where you don't pay booking fees when you hand over your money or click on a website. I want a system where you can return your tickets if you find you can't go and you get your money back if they are resold. I want a system that allows genuine fans to put their names on waiting lists if tickets are returned. At the moment it is not a win-win situation.

The commentator on the BBC had one concern only that the tickets you buy from websites may not be genuine. I have a lot more concerns.

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