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STEPHEN ISBITTS | Tribune correspondent |
TAMPA - Recognizing undercover police officers among crowds of
swarming Buccaneers fans is now an obsolete skill for ticket scalpers
who work sidewalks near Raymond James Stadium.
Selling tickets for more than $1 over face value became legal in
Florida on July 1. So the frenzied sidewalk ticket trade might take on
a new look before the Bucs’ first regular season home game Sunday.
Gone among scalpers will be the fear of going to jail for selling an
eager Bucs fan a $74, 50-yard-line ticket for $100. Solicitation
likely will become more overt and friendly, similar to scenes in other
states that do not restrict ticket resale prices. And many newcomers
are expected to compete with professional ticket sellers in the once
taboo trade.
Bill Todd, a Tampa police sergeant who has patrolled outside Bucs
games for more than 20 years, said he saw many new faces among the
“mobile sellers” during Bucs preseason games in August.
“”Scalping is not an issue for us anymore,”’’ said Todd, whose
department arrested more than 100 people for ticket scalping in recent
years. “”But we’ll still be out there looking for counterfeit tickets,
which is an ongoing problem.”’’
“”Fans shouldn’t let their guard down,”’’ Todd said.
“”We don’t recommend buying tickets on the street.
Fans are better off dealing with brick and mortar ticket brokers,
where you have recourse if there’s a problem with the tickets.”’’
Football fans and ticket resale companies have been quick to respond
to Florida’s new law.
On Wednesday, about 830 tickets for Sunday’s Bucs game against the
Baltimore Ravens were listed for sale on the website Web site of
StubHub, a San Francisco-based company that links sellers and buyers
for a percentage of the eventual sales price.
That total was more than double the number listed for last year’s
opening home game against the Buffalo Bills, StubHub spokesman Sean
Pate said.
The average cost of a Sunday Bucs ticket on StubHub.comÖ was $139
Wednesday, more than double the regular price of an average ticket.
StubHub recently began advertising on sports radio stations statewide
and will staff a Last Minute Tickets outlet near Raymond James
Stadium. Fans can purchase tickets on the company’s Web site minutes
before the game and pick up tickets there.
To capitalize on the burgeoning local resale market, Rich Klein, of
Oldsmar, launched a new Web site this week.. Owner of Tix
International Group, a 23-year-old travel and ticket sales company
based in New York, Klein’s site is similar to StubHub.com. It
processes orders for buyers and sellers for a fee, and guarantees the
transaction.
Klein said Florida’s new free-market system should increase the number
of tickets sold outside Bucs games and other sold-out events and
ultimately drive down ticket prices for fans seeking a last-minute
deal.
He also expects the law will help increase his business, which is one
of about 200 paid members of the National Association of Ticket
Brokers. The non-profit group requires its brokers to have a permanent
business location, other than a residence, and to send customers
refunds and penalty fees, if they sell them tickets that were not
delivered prior to an event.
“”Clients of legitimate brokers are mainly businesses and people
trying to impress somebody,” Klein said.
“So taking a corporate client to a game and buying a ticket on the
street is not going to impress anyone.
That part of our business shouldn’t be affected.”’’
“But more tickets on the market should be good for everyone,
especially the consumer.”’’ |
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Source : http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGB160RUURE.html |
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