Bad Scalper Expirences?

[cello_dude]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 8:27pm

I was just wondering if anyone has had a bad scalper exprience... ie, scalper got caught, ticket didnt work, ticket was really bad/obstructed view... if so what show was it for, and where?

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 9:42pm

I do scalping at Yankee's games all the time (slightly different) and the tickets are usualy great.

[AnothaPartofMe]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 10:40pm

Scalper stopped me on the way into the box office for CHITTY -tried to sell me student rush tickets @ $50 each... I was like "Thanks, but I think I can get a better offer inside..." - got student rush tickets at the box office, walked out and said to her - "This box office thing must be killing your business...".

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 10:51pm

When in doubt insist the scalper go with you to the gate to make sure the ticket is valid. If they won't go with you, don't buy the ticket.

[xerotheory7803]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 2:18am

id never scalp...i mean, id rather come back and try another day, or try another show that night, theres always something with tickets available....as far as concerts go, if i wanna go that bad, ill make sure i have tickets ahead of time

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 2:40am

What about that whole Jersey Boys debacle where someone supposedly sold student rush seats to naive tourists for $250 each?

[mattnyc2]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 9:54am

On my second trip to the city back in '03 I really wanted to see Cabaret. It was a Sunday and our last day in town and I was didn't feel like standing in line at TKTS for an hour. Some scalper offered me two tickets to the show for 50 bucks each, claiming that they were only 13 rows from the stage. I even looked at the tickets and was too stupid to realize that they were student rush tickets that I could have bought for 25 bucks each. Worse yet they were way up in the rear mezz and partially obstructed. Oh well, you live and you learn I guess.

[Feathah]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 10:06am

I have never purchased a scalped ticket. However one time while seeing Wicked - shortly after the Tonys with the original cast in tact - a couple ahead of me walked in, presented their tickets and they would not scan. They were fake. The couple was extremely upset and a manager had to come over and explain to them the risks of purchasing from scalpers. He paid $500 for the pair.

[CandarianDemonMoose]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 11:09am

I would never do it. I just go to the TKTS booth instead.

[wexy]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 11:13am

If I ever have an extra, I sell for the TDF price that I bought it for which makes someone very happy. Never bought a scalped ticket at the theartre.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 11:44am

I haven't had a bad scalper experience yet. The only time I have bought tickets in front of the theater were for SWEET CHARITY in October 2005 (paid $30 each for mezz seats) and for THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN' ($30) for the second time I saw the show, since the student rush tickets were already gone.

This past Saturday, as I was about to go to the box office to get a student rush ticket for MIMI LE DUCK, a woman who was giving out comps to the matinee gave me a ticket! Believe me, I am so glad I didn't pay for it. The show was awful.

[AugustBurns2]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 1:04pm

This isn't a Broadway story, but years ago in Dallas (I was either an eighth grader or a freshmen in high school 1988 or 1989) - friends of the family were over at my house talking about how much they enjoyed seeing a performance of the national tour of The King and I starring Stacey Keach the night before. They left about 1:40 PM.

My mom said to me - "Would you like to go?" I said "Yes!". She drove me downtown to the Music Hall at Fair Park for a performance at 2:00 PM (the last show in Dallas). I don't know how we made it that fast, but we made it there in 10 minutes (usually 30 in good traffic). She dropped me off - she was simply driving me!

As I was walking up to the entrance, this man approached me and asked me if I needed a ticket. I said yes, but was weary. He said he had a good seat for $45.00. I told him, I only had $25.00. It was 2:00 PM. He sold me the ticket for $25.00!

I was nervous when I walked up to the entrance, but they took my ticket! Yeah, I was in!

When I got to my seat in the orchestra (Row H, left center), there were people sitting in my seat. I asked them if they had the right seat and they showed me their tickets. They said it must have been a mistake. Because I was nervous about the ticket, I didn't go get an usher. I just sat in the seat I was assigned to in the row behind them. During intermission, these old ladies behind me asked if I was in the right seat. I explained that I should be in the row in front of me, but the people in front of me said that they must have made a mistake in ticketing. They were supposed to me in my row! Because the theater was practically empty, it didn't matter where people were sitting. In fact, there were more people sitting in front of me at the beginning of ACT II. I finally figured out that the people in my seat were actually from the balcony!

Oh, yeah - Stacey Keach wasn't that bad. I remember that it was a good looking production (this before the revival, of course which I saw on tour with Haeley Mills (my eyes rolling)).

When I sold Ticketmast tickets in high school and college, people would come up and buy like rows of open seats (that would open up an hour before the show) at the last minute for sold out rock shows - then they would go to the show and sell them. So, there can be legit scalpers.

But I think I would be scared to buy now - unless it was dirt cheap and under profit like the ones that I bought and it looked like a real ticket.

[worrell4077]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 3:00pm

I've never scalped a ticket or bought a scalped ticket cause you don't know if it's legimate and the scalper's usually ripp you off with the price. It's always better buying from a trusted source like telecharge, ticketmaster, the box office, or TDF.

[Anna_Elizabeth]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 3:54pm

I've never had a bad experience either, but I think it also depends on who is doing the scalping. I've purchased tickets from groups who had extra tickets at the last minute, people who had an extra because someone was sick. It's easy to tell who are just regular people trying to sell a ticket that would go to waste versus scalpers who do it constantly to make a buck.

[cello_dude]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 7:50pm

the only time i did it was when Lion King opened, i got 3 mezz tix for like $225... but i really wanted to see it

[emo_geek]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 10:11pm

I would love to rea dmore bad expirences. Sad that I find them thrilling.

[cello_dude]

Posted: 11/15/06 at 6:50pm

bump