page_title: Ticket resale
section_title: Criticism
hierarchical_section_title: Ticket resale / Criticism
caption_attribution_description: The Scalpers Are Cheating The (Vancouver Folk Music) Festival
context_page_description: Ticket resale is the act of reselling tickets for admission to events. Tickets are bought from licensed sellers and are then sold for a price determined by the individual or company in possession of the tickets. Tickets sold through secondary sources may be sold for less or more than their face value depending on demand, which tends to vary as the event date approaches. When the supply of tickets for a given event available through authorized ticket sellers is depleted, the event is considered "sold out", generally increasing the market value for any tickets on offer through secondary sellers. Ticket resale is common in both sporting and musical events.
  Ticket resale is a form of arbitrage that arises when the number demanded at the sale price exceeds the number supplied.
  During the 19th century, the term scalper was applied to railroad ticket brokers who sold tickets for lower rates.
context_section_description: For popular events with sold out tickets, re-sellers may sell the tickets at several times the face value. If re-sellers buy the tickets and the tickets are not then sold out, then they risk a loss. There may be individuals who wish to attend a popular event (and decide to sell their tickets later) and those that buy tickets in large quantities in order to resell their tickets for a profit. Some countries have restricted the unauthorized resale of tickets.
  In 2008, Internet ticket fraud had emerged as global problem, when fake ticket websites defrauded millions of dollars from sports fans by selling Beijing Olympics tickets which they had no intention of delivering.
  According to Stephen Barrett of Quackwatch, many online ticket resellers use URLs that are similar to official box-office websites, sometimes implying via their texts or their pictures that they are official, use internet advertising to increase traffic to their website, and don't clearly state the real prices they charge for a ticket.
caption: Many event promoters actively discourage ticket scalping, as seen by this sign at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival.
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