# How to handle concert ticket sales **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2022, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198 "2022-11-19T09:31:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/21 "2022-11-19T15:46:07Z")
Often times you dont know who is going when you buy the tickets, how many you are going to get or if the seats are any good. Asking people to be more responsible amd plan ahead and keep to a plan is unrealistic. This is not an airline ticket, its supposed to be fun and is often time spontaneous. And concerts dont have TSA style people checking IDs at the door. The door people are minium wage temps, and you expect them to enforce complicated rules concerning IDs? Are they going to deal with pissed off customers being turned away. That is a good recipe for a riot. Drunken and high people being turned away from a party they have a legit ticket to go? Thats going to go over well ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/22 "2022-11-19T15:55:18Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Asking people to be more responsible amd plan ahead and keep to a plan is unrealistic. There’s your problem. That’s the minimum I’d expect. > [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > And concerts dont have TSA style people checking IDs at the door. The door people are minium wage temps, and you expect them to enforce complicated rules concerning IDs? I assume they are checking that tickets are legit, how much more skill is required to check an id or compare a photo against the person in front of them? > [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Are they going to deal with pissed off customers being turned away I assume they already have to do that for those without a valid ticket > [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Drunken and high people being turned away from a party they have a legit ticket to go? Thats going to go over well why would anyone be getting turned away unless they had an invalid ticket? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/23 "2022-11-19T15:56:53Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > why would anyone be getting turned away unless they had an invalid ticket ID didnt match and they legitimately bought the ticket from someone who decided at the last minute not to go. Happens all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/24 "2022-11-19T15:59:16Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > ID didnt match and they legitimately bought the ticket from someone who decided at the last minute not to go. Happens all the time. That isn’t a legitimate ticket then is it? as it doesn’t have their name on it. I’d assume that clearly stated on the ticket would be “invalid if matching id not produced” or something similar. The blame, if there is any, seems to lie with the person who bailed at the last moment. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/25 "2022-11-19T16:01:38Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > I get a non-transferable airline ticket, can’t see why non-transferable concert tickets wouldn’t work. As others have already noted, you _could_ do it, but the nature of how people use (and want to use, and have traditionally used) concert tickets today doesn’t fit well with a non-transferable ticket. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/26 "2022-11-19T16:03:23Z")
But a change like not allowing transferable tickets _would_ address the issue of them being bought up by scalpers. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/27 "2022-11-19T16:03:50Z")
If mrs. dirtball and I had a pair of thousand-dollar tickets (or however much they would be) to the Rolling Stones Farewell Tour and then, day of show, my boss is suddenly demanding that I write an emergency TPS report that’ll require an all-nighter, I’d be highly incensed if mrs. couldn’t pick up the phone and call her friend Dottie to offer her my ticket. If I can’t use it, there’s no sensible reason why someone else shouldn’t be able to. ETA: And yes, I would be aware that the tickets are non-transerable at the time of purchase. That doesn’t make it go down any easier when the emergency TPS comes up. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/28 "2022-11-19T16:06:12Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > But a change like not allowing transferable tickets _would_ address the issue of them being bought up by scalpers. Yeah, it likely would, but it would then create the different problem of making it difficult (if not impossible) for legitimate, non-scalping transfers of tickets. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/29 "2022-11-19T16:08:28Z")
I was thinking of a system that would allow you to transfer the tickets, perhaps by going to a website and providing the driver’s license number of the recipient, but I’ll bet that the scalpers would figure out a way to use this to resell tickets. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/30 "2022-11-19T16:13:42Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Yeah, it likely would, but it would then create the different problem of making it difficult (if not impossible) for legitimate, non-scalping transfers of tickets. Why? I can transfer an airline ticket to another person for a small (or in some cases not so small fee) You could even pay a small amount extra up front to allow you to transfer it for no further extra fee. Sure, any additional steps required might act as a disincentive to people buying speculative tickets, or getting more than they need but I don’t see that as a massive problem. If it leaves more for those who are defintely going to go and are capable of the most minimal organsation then that seems like a win to me. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/31 "2022-11-19T16:16:41Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Why? I can transfer an airline ticket to another person for a small (or in some cases not so small fee) You could even pay a small amount extra up front to allow you to transfer it for no further extra fee. You _specifically_ suggested: > [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > I get a non-transferable airline ticket, can’t see why non-transferable concert tickets wouldn’t work. My understanding is that a **non-transferable** airline ticket is exactly that – no, you **can’t** transfer it to another person. You can do that with **transferable** airline tickets (which are apparently not particularly common, at least not here in the U.S.), but those are not the same thing. > **[How to Transfer an Airline Ticket | All Getaways](https://www.allgetaways.com/flight-booking/transfer-airline-ticket.html)** > > When you purchase an airline ticket, always heed the warning: "Read the fine print." You probably already know that airlines make it difficult to transfer plane tickets, and depending on the airline, you may have very little luck changing or... [https://www.cheapair.com/help/flights/can-i-give-my-airline-ticket-to-someone-else-if-i-get-sick-or-is-it-non-transferable/](https://www.cheapair.com/help/flights/can-i-give-my-airline-ticket-to-someone-else-if-i-get-sick-or-is-it-non-transferable/) [https://www.fondtravels.com/blog/travel-tips/transfer-a-flight-ticket](https://www.fondtravels.com/blog/travel-tips/transfer-a-flight-ticket) ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/32 "2022-11-19T16:19:35Z")
I have tried to transfer plane tickets in the past and couldn’t do it. Something about them being non-transferable after 9/11. Concerts are events that are supposed to be fun. What next, sit in your assigned seats at all times? It’s not how large groups of people want it to be, especially younger groups like Taylor Swift fans. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/33 "2022-11-19T16:19:57Z")
Hijack, but I remember a story of a guy (I think Canadian) who had bought tickets for him and his girlfriend to go to Europe but then he broke up with her, so he was looking for another person with the same name to go with instead. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/34 "2022-11-19T16:23:30Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > My understanding is that a **non-transferable** airline ticket is exactly that – no, you **can’t** transfer it to another person. OK, to be clear, when I talk about an airline ticket being “non-transferable” I mean that you cannot simply give it to another person and they walk onto the plane. It is booked under a specific name and requires confirmation via ID. They are often transferable in the sense that, for a fee, the details can be changed and the ticket then passed on to another specified person. That would be the same process I propose for concert tickets. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/35 "2022-11-19T16:25:28Z")
Which might make me less inclined to buy tickets . I have partial season tickets for baseball ( which I buy directly from the team ) . To buy playoff tickets I had to buy a strip of multiple games before the dates were even known. No way am I spending over a thousand dollars on those tickets if can’t transfer them. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/36 "2022-11-19T16:28:50Z")
Some are transferable in that sense and others aren’t . And the fees for a name change are around $150 - and that’s to change the spelling of a name (for example from Jon to John) , not to change the person. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/37 "2022-11-19T16:28:57Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > I have tried to transfer plane tickets in the past and couldn’t do it. Something about them being non-transferable after 9/11. Ah, well maybe this is something that has changed (I’ve never had to try to do it) and they are indeed no longer transferable in that sense. > [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Concerts are events that are supposed to be fun. What next, sit in your assigned seats at all times? It’s not how large groups of people want it to be, especially younger groups like Taylor Swift fans. Sounds like the Taylor Swift fans are getting the raw end of the deal under the current system anyway. No harm in batting around better ways of doing things. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/38 "2022-11-19T16:29:02Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > They are often transferable in the sense that, for a fee, the details can be changed and the ticket then passed on to another specified person. Of the major airlines [none](https://www.cheapoair.com/travel-tips/can-you-transfer-your-airline-ticket-to-someone-else/) allows ticket transfers. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/39 "2022-11-19T16:29:14Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > They are often transferable in the sense that, for a fee, the details can be changed and the ticket then passed on to another specified person. That would be the same process I propose for concert tickets. My understanding is, at least with the U.S. air carriers, no, you _aren’t_ generally allowed to do this. But, getting back to the point of the thread, Ticketmaster already provides this exact service for at least some of the tickets they handle (such as NFL tickets), but one can also sell them (or give them) to a third party, without getting Ticketmaster involved. > **[NFL Tickets: Everything You Need to Know](https://help.ticketmaster.com/hc/en-us/articles/9756981666833-NFL-Tickets-Everything-You-Need-to-Know?language=en_US)** > > This season NFL fans have the power of Ticketmaster SafeTix™. SafeTix are powered by a new and unique barcode that automatically refreshes every few seconds so it cannot be stolen or copied, keepin... ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198/40 "2022-11-19T16:31:44Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > My understanding is, at least with the U.S. air carriers, no, you _aren’t_ generally allowed to do this. You are right, it seems like my experience is a little out of date. I confess I leave the airline bookings to my hyper-organised wife for personal travel and my admin for work travel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-handle-concert-ticket-sales/975198.md?page=3)