Tables are turned on Ebay scalper
December 6, 2005 10:40 PM   Subscribe

Scalped basketball tickets: $370. XBOX 360: $299. Having Ebay stop the bidding and award all items to the person who bid $80: Priceless
posted by chakalakasp (25 comments total)
 
This clearly makes no sense, even under eBay's policy.
posted by smackfu at 10:43 PM on December 6, 2005


Good.
posted by Rothko at 10:46 PM on December 6, 2005


2. Due to laws regulating ticket sales in this area, the seller in this auction will not accept any bids or offers to buy above the total face value $__ printed on the ticket(s), plus $ permitted in some states. Do not bid more than this amount. Bids that exceed this amount are void and will be cancelled by the seller. The seller will end the listing if, and when, this price is met.
posted by mr.dan at 10:47 PM on December 6, 2005


classic
posted by tumult at 10:55 PM on December 6, 2005


So he doesn't deliver the goods and gets bad ebay feedback.. Big deal.
posted by drpynchon at 10:58 PM on December 6, 2005


drpynchon: yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking. And, really, the winner of the auction would have to be more than a bit of an asswipe to neg him.

He could always post them on craigslist. Or have a friend in a state without anti-scalping laws sell them for him on EBay (it looks to me as if the EBay reg only applies to tickets sold in areas with anti-scalping laws. So if he was to get someone in, say, British Columbia to sell them for him, they would not be under the restriction.
posted by solid-one-love at 11:06 PM on December 6, 2005


what ingrate has an xbox 360 AND KU/Louisville tix and thinks the best choice is to scalp them both?

oh i see, some rich ingrate who buys $1,500 fountains on ebay

eat the rich!
posted by tsarfan at 11:30 PM on December 6, 2005


What a complete non-issue; why did this even get posted?
posted by jonson at 11:33 PM on December 6, 2005


oh, that sucks for the seller. I'd just take the neg feedback, personally, and re-list them separately...and the tickets elsewhere
posted by nile_red at 11:43 PM on December 6, 2005


Funniest thing is that it looks like he originally bought those tickets on EBay for $349 plus shipping.
posted by solid-one-love at 11:44 PM on December 6, 2005


what ebay was unaware of was the fact that kentucky state law places a higher maximum on basketball tickets when inexplicably sold with an xbox360.
posted by shmegegge at 11:49 PM on December 6, 2005


I submitted this with a funnier headline.
posted by epimorph at 11:56 PM on December 6, 2005


Oh, Ghost in a Jar, how I pine for thee.

And my damn Xbox 360.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:31 AM on December 7, 2005


Enough with the God Damned Master Card bit! I'm sick of it!
posted by Scoo at 6:27 AM on December 7, 2005


So he doesn't deliver the goods and gets bad ebay feedback.. Big deal.
posted by drpynchon at 1:58 AM EST on December 7 [!]


However, the $80 bidder can sue for specific performance, that is delivery of the goods. The chances of getting the tickets prior to the game, or the Xbox prior to Xmas are not good though.
posted by caddis at 6:32 AM on December 7, 2005


Here's the policy that seems to prohibit (at least implicitly) the approach this seller took:

Ticket Package Policy

Ticket packages may be listed on eBay, and are exempt from eBay's ticket resale policy. To qualify as a 'ticket package', the listing must not offer the buyer an option to purchase the tickets alone, and must include either:

1. At least one item or experience of substantial value related to the ticket event that the seller has coordinated with the event promoter, team, manager, artist, or venue, such as a backstage pass, a meeting with the performer, or an "experience" such as being a ball boy at a baseball game; or

2. A complete travel package around the event, including both air transportation to the event location and commercial lodging for at least one night. Listings that offer tickets without these travel arrangements do not qualify as travel packages under this policy.


An Xbox does not qualify under either (1) or (2).
posted by brain_drain at 7:03 AM on December 7, 2005


very funny, epimorph.
posted by shoepal at 7:03 AM on December 7, 2005


Yeah, in Florida the standard dodge to the ticket laws is to include limo service or the like to the event. Could be worse, however, it could be a moronic venue like DC where you can't resell the tickets for any price, even below face. How that isn't blatant protectionism for Ticketbastard and a violation of a person's right to resell is beyond me.
posted by phearlez at 7:52 AM on December 7, 2005


Enough with the God Damned Master Card bit! I'm sick of it!
posted by Scoo at 9:27 AM EST on December 7

Got Milk? .......................$400 million
Where's the Beef?............530 million
Irritating consumers beyond belief.......priceless!

(Now that's a spicy meatball!)
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:57 AM on December 7, 2005


Feedback he left for the buyer:

"Auction ended in error. Buyer was very understanding, An honest Ebayer A+"

Looks like he didn't deliver the goods afterall.
posted by howling fantods at 9:32 AM on December 7, 2005


Stopping scalping itself is big business. Keep in mind, the resell issue is the only reason why airlines care to check your ID. If it were safety alone, it could be easily solved by the security checks other than your ID.
posted by mystyk at 10:34 AM on December 7, 2005


All's well that ends well.
posted by caddis at 11:09 AM on December 7, 2005


I hate it when everything works out nicely.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 11:43 AM on December 7, 2005


Would anyone care to explain the logic behind anti-scalping laws? How do they benefit the "professional" ticket sellers?
posted by Citizen Premier at 4:07 PM on December 7, 2005


It's clear that the Xbox didn't meet eBay's standards and it's good that this was resolved amicably.

However, I think scalping laws are an insult to free markets. They allow "ticket brokers" to do what an individual cannot do by himself. Selling tickets is not like practicing medicine or law, the consumer does not need protection. Buying and reselling things is one of the oldest professions.

I read in the WSJ that a lot of states are revising their law to allow individuals to resell tickets. I love the story about the guy who bought all of the outfield seats at Dodger stadium to try to catch Barry Bonds' 700th HR. He took the risk and should be able to profit by reselling those tickets.
posted by Frank Grimes at 6:51 PM on December 7, 2005


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