tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post7489980959965289569..comments2024-03-28T09:22:36.967+13:00Comments on Offsetting Behaviour: In defence of scalping [updated]Eric Cramptonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-17266065817624802412011-02-17T15:07:41.569+13:002011-02-17T15:07:41.569+13:00Yep, I'd guessed that restrictions were in pla...Yep, I'd guessed that restrictions were in place for the RWC ballot, but didn't realise that the offered seat could vary in value. In that case even more reason to allow for scalping. If you went in to the market with the expectation of paying $400 for a ticket, but were only offered a $1200 ticket I'd think the temptation to try to turn a profit on such a high value item would be quite high, assuming you had the $1200 in the first place.Latsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-31223261127916921162011-02-17T14:46:55.036+13:002011-02-17T14:46:55.036+13:00@Lats: They do restrict number of tickets purchase...@Lats: They do restrict number of tickets purchased per purchaser best I'm aware.<br /><br />The ballot's also nasty in that you don't know whether you'll be invited to buy a $400 or a $1200 seat.Eric Cramptonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-72718478495592212492011-02-17T14:22:10.970+13:002011-02-17T14:22:10.970+13:00Just watched the clip on-line. Interesting stuff w...Just watched the clip on-line. Interesting stuff well argued.<br /><br />If the reasoning behind legislating to minimise scalping is ostensibly to make tickets available for the less well heeled rugby fan wouldn't it make more sense to restrict numbers of tickets per purchaser rather than enforce a blanket ban on scalping? This mechanism is employed in the ballot for tickets to a degree anyway, and I'm guessing the majority of folk who are successful in the ballot will probably keep tickets for themselves. Presumably you wouldn't have entered the ballot in the first place if you didn't have at least some interest in attending a game or two.<br /><br />But I don't understand why someone who can't make it to a chosen game, for whatever reason, can't then on-sell their ticket to someone who is prepared to pay more than the list price. This in no way disadvantages someone who has already lost out in the ballot because they wouldn't ordinarily have a ticket anyway, and they gain the opportunity to pay for one if they choose, as long as they can come up with the $$$.<br /><br />As I said, given the ballot system it is difficult for a potential scalper to buy a large block of tickets to a RWC game. But for some other events where scalping has been seen as an issue invariably it was because a number of enterprising sorts have got in early and purchased 20 or more tickets at once. This can easily be minimised by limiting individual purchases to 2 or 4 seats at a time. Sure, some scalpers will get around this by organising friends and family members to buy on their behalf, but it at least makes it a little more difficult and gives others a slightly fairer chance, assuming fairness is the objective here.<br /><br />Outrage about scalping assumes that profit making on ticket purchases is somehow a bad thing. I'm not convinced this is the case. If folk who miss out on a ticket are prepared to pay more than the list price to attend an event then, as you so correctly stated this morning, this suggests that the list price was set too low in the first place.Latsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-33419729840451213742011-02-17T08:57:36.097+13:002011-02-17T08:57:36.097+13:00Brave? Oh crap. Is that like Sir Humphrey's &q...Brave? Oh crap. Is that like Sir Humphrey's "courageous"? I sure as hell hope not. I'm not courageous.Eric Cramptonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-68026614527301620042011-02-17T07:53:38.695+13:002011-02-17T07:53:38.695+13:00Very brave to say something so right on TV thismor...Very brave to say something so right on TV thismorning. Fantastic. Taped it. Thanks, hope you'll be called upon again.Rickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06315796390662297759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-12891701774272762632011-02-16T23:40:20.796+13:002011-02-16T23:40:20.796+13:00Try make the argument that scalping is just like s...Try make the argument that scalping is just like stagging an IPO. People buy the stock and watch it rise on the first day and make a profit. Nobody claims that is 'immoral' or 'stealing' etc.Sinclair Davidsonhttp://www.catallaxyfiles.comnoreply@blogger.com