How common are ticket touts?

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 16
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Me and a few friends are desperate to see Foals in Portsmouth on the 13th March

We only became fans of them recently, after they sold out in fact, but we REALLY like them and have been looking for tickets for quite a while now.

I know ticket touting is bad, unethical etc. But if we were desperate enough and didnt get tickets by then could we rely on getting them from touts outside? How common are they?
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  • Master OzzyMaster Ozzy Posts: 18,923
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    Touts are very common. You even get them outside festivals now. They'll be loads of them outside the venue.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 475
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    They are quite common if it is a sold out gig and the price you pay will depend on some things.

    Check out ebay in the days running up to the gig. Are the tickets even selling for face value? How much above face value are they selling for?

    Make sure you know the value of the tickets when you approach the tout. If there isn't much demand one of you should approach the tout, ask how much for X amounts of tickets then say nah, dude round the corner offered us at X amount left and walk off. You can always send another friend.
  • rory rrory r Posts: 419
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    Most concerts I have been to have touts outside the venue, Ive usually had a few sherbets by then and go and ask how much the tickets are, then give them pelters for their double the face value prices.
  • shmiskshmisk Posts: 7,963
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    Join a Foals forum - sometimes fans have tickets for sale they offer usually at face value

    http://www.scarletmist.com/ is a ethical face value only site that sells tickets people dont want to/cant use

    gum tree also sell tickets

    touts are a last resort really
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 16
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    I'm looking for 4 tickets. They are face valued roughly at £18, someone on ebay offered me them for £90 after I messaged him if he could go lower, unfortunately, just as I was about to pay they went for £30 each so I totally missed out.

    Now there is someone selling 8 for £45 each and that isnt including the £5 postage, I asked if he could go lower if I bought 4 together and he said he wouldn't go lower at all (greed!) I cant pay these prices or the even higher prices on sites like viagogo.

    I want to go for my 18th, I put an ad up on Gumtree and was bombarded with obvious scammers asking for bank transfers, I told them I would only meet face to face.

    However, one person out of many many others, actually offered to call me on the day of the event and meet me on the night outside the venue and sell me 4 for £100, and I'm fine with that (£7 over face value per ticket). I immediately asked him why we couldn't meet sooner and he said he couldn't get them any earlier and he knows the promoter.
    This would be my first proper gig I've ever gone to for a popular act, and so I thought this guy sounded really dodgy, but my friend told me that whenever he goes to gigs there are always ticket touts buying and selling spare tickets, so I thought maybe he's just one of those trying to get some confirmed buyers.

    The biggest worry for me is that, if we don't get reasonably priced tickets by the date, and go to meet this guy, he won't turn up or won't have the amount of tickets we want (he may have sold them on) It would also be very disappointing to plan to go, to get there and be turned down in any way.

    The obvious way to avoid disappointment by not going ,but I really, really want to see this band.

    Nonetheless I will keep looking on ebay, the venue is not that far from me so it wouldn't be too much of a wasted trip, more hugely disappointing.

    Would relying on a tout be a reliable last resort? Am I overthinking this? thanks for your help
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 475
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    Yes, tout is LAST resort.

    People on gum tree are not an option. Seriously just leave that alone.

    Keep looking on ebay, as it gets nearer to the date it quite often happens that too many people have bought tickets up for resale. I sold a pair of tickets to for mindless self indulgence on the day of the gig because sudden changes meant I couldn't go. I sold them for face value, the lady came and picked them up on the day. Do that.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 16
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    Might have to do that, although it does worry me as I would rather have the tickets in hand and confirm to my friends that we are actually going but oh well. Thanks for your advice
  • mickmarsmickmars Posts: 7,438
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    Touts are like buses,,plenty there when you don't need one - a buggar to deal with when you need one ;-)
  • gemma-the-huskygemma-the-husky Posts: 18,116
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    common? touts are real low-life are they not?

    common doesn't do them justice
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 475
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    common? touts are real low-life are they not?

    common doesn't do them justice

    Gemma, the OP is using the adjective, you are thinking the synonyms and wombles live on the noun :)
  • PopRocketPopRocket Posts: 587
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    There are good touts as well as bad, it's the ones that mark up the price by loads that give the others a bad name
  • DaisyBumblerootDaisyBumbleroot Posts: 24,763
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    The reason the lad may not have the tickets yet is because sometimes you don't get the tickets til a week or so before the gig.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 16
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    He specifically said he gets them on the night, just a bit unusual to me but maybe I'll risk it. There will be 4 of us so should be safe
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,258
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    He specifically said he gets them on the night, just a bit unusual to me but maybe I'll risk it. There will be 4 of us so should be safe

    You could always try the Box Office when you arrive, they sometimes have tickets there :)
  • linnyloulinnylou Posts: 18,770
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    If you're on Twitter, then it's worth checking out and following @Twickets https://twitter.com/Twickets

    People offer to sell their football, concert, theatre etc tickets at face value or less (not allowed to sell over the face value) through the site in advance or last minute, right up to the day of the event.
  • jsmith99jsmith99 Posts: 20,382
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    common? touts are real low-life are they not?

    common doesn't do them justice

    Why? They're supplying goods at prices which customers are willing to pay. Like Harrods, John Lewis or Tesco. It's the "willing to pay" part which is important.

    If people don't like touts, there's an obvious solution - don't buy from them. If nobody bought over-priced tickets, there'd be no touts.

    Nobody ever came to any harm because they missed a football match.
  • gemma-the-huskygemma-the-husky Posts: 18,116
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    jsmith99 wrote: »
    Why? They're supplying goods at prices which customers are willing to pay. Like Harrods, John Lewis or Tesco. It's the "willing to pay" part which is important.

    If people don't like touts, there's an obvious solution - don't buy from them. If nobody bought over-priced tickets, there'd be no touts.

    Nobody ever came to any harm because they missed a football match.

    i didn't; mean it really - it was just a play on words.

    I don't understand all the negativity directed towards touts.
  • Tal'shiarTal'shiar Posts: 2,290
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    i didn't; mean it really - it was just a play on words.

    I don't understand all the negativity directed towards touts.

    Maybe because they buy loads of tickets so "fans" cannot buy them from the official means, then they hike up the price.

    Say you want a new TV, yet some touts have bought all the TVs, and are now selling at double the price.

    Thats why people hate them, because they buy all the tickets up and increase the price. Many bands actually despise them as they make it harder for them to go out and play shows, many "sell out" shows have ended up with only half the ticket number showing up as the touts bought up the rest of the tickets and people didnt bother going. Thus lowering merch sales and hurting the band in general.
  • gemma-the-huskygemma-the-husky Posts: 18,116
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    Tal'shiar wrote: »
    Maybe because they buy loads of tickets so "fans" cannot buy them from the official means, then they hike up the price.

    Say you want a new TV, yet some touts have bought all the TVs, and are now selling at double the price.

    Thats why people hate them, because they buy all the tickets up and increase the price. Many bands actually despise them as they make it harder for them to go out and play shows, many "sell out" shows have ended up with only half the ticket number showing up as the touts bought up the rest of the tickets and people didnt bother going. Thus lowering merch sales and hurting the band in general.

    Ah - now I struggle to understand how they do get hold of so many tickets.
  • jsmith99jsmith99 Posts: 20,382
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    i didn't; mean it really - it was just a play on words.

    I don't understand all the negativity directed towards touts.

    Fair enough. Nor do I - they're supplying a demand.
    Tal'shiar wrote: »
    Maybe because they buy loads of tickets so "fans" cannot buy them from the official means, then they hike up the price...................

    And if fans refused to buy from them, they wouldn't buy loads of tickets, would they? In fact, they wouldn't buy any at all. The fans only need refuse to buy from them for a couple of events.
    Tal'shiar wrote: »
    ............Say you want a new TV, yet some touts have bought all the TVs, and are now selling at double the price....................

    Smart of them to know I wanted a new TV. However, you could legitimately claim that someone "needed" a new TV. Nobody "needs" to go to a sports match or music event.
  • smudges dadsmudges dad Posts: 36,989
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    How common are ticket touts?

    They are all common as they have no class or style.

    They are also leeches on the genuine fans and exploit people for profit. They have no place in society.
  • smudges dadsmudges dad Posts: 36,989
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    PopRocket wrote: »
    There are good touts as well as bad, it's the ones that mark up the price by loads that give the others a bad name
    Can you give any examples of a good tout?
    i didn't; mean it really - it was just a play on words.

    I don't understand all the negativity directed towards touts.
    The negativity is because they exploit people for profit (and I'll bet they don't pay tax on their profits).
  • jsmith99jsmith99 Posts: 20,382
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    .........The negativity is because they exploit people for profit (and I'll bet they don't pay tax on their profits).

    How are they exploiting people? They offer a product, at a known price. If you choose to pay that price, then you get exactly the product described.

    If you decide not to pay that price, you keep your money in your pocket, and they have to find another buyer.

    Seems no different to commercial dealings all over the world.
  • smudges dadsmudges dad Posts: 36,989
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    jsmith99 wrote: »
    How are they exploiting people? They offer a product, at a known price. If you choose to pay that price, then you get exactly the product described.

    If you decide not to pay that price, you keep your money in your pocket, and they have to find another buyer.

    Seems no different to commercial dealings all over the world.

    Do you blame the drug pusher or the addict?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 16
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    Can we stick to the actual topic, I said, I know that touts are unethical, but if it's the only way for me to get tickets how likely are they to show?
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