Fishman busts scalpers!

[Walker done done]

LOL...U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, that is.

But either way, it's a great story and has some Phish ties to it.  You can read it here: http://www.justice.gov/usao/nj/press/press/files/pdffiles/Wiseguys%20IndictmentFiled.pdf


Fishman Busts the Scalper Kings
Four individuals have been arrested on a 43-count indictment related to wire fraud and a host of related crimes perpetrated in wildly successful attempts to siphon tickets from TicketMaster, MusicToday, LiveNation and others, for resale through ticket brokers. Wiseguys and its various fronts and subsidiaries stole hundreds of thousands of tickets per year over the last 5 years, including approximately 20% of seats for the Phish reunion shows at Hampton in March 2009 (see page 46). Internal emails among Wiseguy employees indicate that the thieves had cornered the market on illegitimate access to online ticket sales and, in their words, monopolized access to the best available seats. The indictment was filed by US Attorney Paul J. Fishman.

[sour d]

I saw a kid smack a scalper upside the head with a skateboard, take a stack of tickets, and distribute them to numerous heads as he ran for his life at a show. Modern day robin hood. Here is my answer to stopping scalping. Four tickets a person. Will call only. You have to be present with I.D. and credit card to get your tix. With that kids in Cali won't buy tickets to Portland, Me. just to put them on ebay, and the "tickets now" people would have to show up at the venue to pick up tickets. Not just buy them from their own company ticketmaster. 

[Walker done done]

I saw a kid smack a scalper upside the head with a skateboard, take a stack of tickets, and distribute them to numerous heads as he ran for his life at a show. Modern day robin hood.

Wow...that's awesome.  My new hero.  What show was this at?

[sour d]

Wow...that's awesome.  My new hero.  What show was this at?

Memory is a little foggy but I'm pretty sure it was The Dead in boston. When Susan Tedeschi was singing with them years ago.

[strangedesign]

I saw a kid smack a scalper upside the head with a skateboard, take a stack of tickets, and distribute them to numerous heads as he ran for his life at a show. Modern day robin hood. Here is my answer to stopping scalping. Four tickets a person. Will call only. You have to be present with I.D. and credit card to get your tix. With that kids in Cali won't buy tickets to Portland, Me. just to put them on ebay, and the "tickets now" people would have to show up at the venue to pick up tickets. Not just buy them from their own company ticketmaster. 

will call is definitely the answer, but it would be impossible if half the venue had to go through will call. I still think going back to the index cards would also help stop scalpers. This would eliminate any software hack and easily free up 1000's of tix for the real phanz. Phish could even take it a step phurther and not allow any online sales. They would still sell out shows and the tix would end up in real phans hands.