Rip-off Ireland: Ticket prices rugby/soccer

Eglinton

I was going to put this in a sports thread but I think it deserves a wider audience. I haven't compared other types of event.

Take a look at the ticket prices here http://www.irishrugby.ie/htmlpage/62442.html which are presumably sold out

and then check this site http://www.needaticket.ie/product_info.php?products_id=60&osCsid=1412e4127d1c24a04d9f469e55918c9e

How can they justify the difference? It's massive. Is there something extra I'm missing here? If there isn't, it's a disgrace. Surely the GAA/IRFU/FAI can't condone it. I've spent weekends at Grand Prix that cost less.

And it's not just Rugby. I highly doubt soccer tickets for Ireland vs Wales in Croke Park cost 150 yoyos. http://www.needaticket.ie/product_info.php?products_id=99

Fair enough if you're desperate enough to go to the match and willing to pay etc. but it shouldn't happen in the first place

zuutroy

They are both two days in Irish sport that a LOT of people want to be a part of, and as the ad says they are historically significant. Its crazy money, but the market dictates the prices.

Eglinton

Does it constitute touting? They seem to have got a block of tickets and are profiteering from them. Usually there are systems in place to avoid this.

Mossy Monk

i think it is time that photographs of those buying tickets were on tickets. just like whats happening at Glastonbury this year

phog

Surely a Rip-Off is only whenyou have no choice but to pay. While I agree that the mark up is unbelievable I also think that going to a sports event is hardly life or death.

wow sierra

They are touts plain and simple - I found that site when thinking of a last minute trip to some of the world cup - even the low profile games were a rediculous price on it. Don't know if I would trust them to come up with the tickets even if willing to pay the money.

PS the name of the thread is misleading - it implies you are talking about the official prices.

InFront

Eglinton wrote:

Fair enough if you're desperate enough to go to the match and willing to pay etc. but it shouldn't happen in the first place

I agree with you, just for the record English fans are paying 670 euro for one ticket, return flight and two nights in a shared room in a hotel... and that's from the official English site!

That's quite expensive too. I think overall we get a better deal. I'll have to check again but I'm pretty sure that 700 euro was about the price to go and see Ireland play in Italy on St Patrciks day (as advertised in Emerald Rugby magazine a few months back) in Stadio Flaminio with accomodation, etc. I'd say keep your money and try go to that!

Will definitely be watching all our big games from my sofa this year. B.R.O.K.E.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

From the terms and conditions page:

If an event is cancelled by the artist or promoter, we will refund the face value of the ticket only.

Honestly, this should be in humour!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Eglinton wrote:

Take a look at the ticket prices here http://www.irishrugby.ie/htmlpage/62442.html which are presumably sold out

Haven't gone on sale yet: 8am on the 11th

They are both two days in Irish sport that a LOT of people want to be a part of, and as the ad says they are historically significant. Its crazy money, but the market dictates the prices.

Which is a polite way of condoning toutism. The face value of the rugby tickets is the same for both matches, and the soccer match against Germany is €50 more expensive than the wales game and that won't be all that historic...

And €70 for Rodge and Podge...? How is that historicly significant...??!!!

Eglinton

Ikky Poo2 wrote:

From the terms and conditions page:

Quote:
If an event is cancelled by the artist or promoter, we will refund the face value of the ticket only.

Honestly, this should be in humour!

Wow, I hadn't noticed that. Disgraceful. Surely no legit company can do that under consumer legislation.

Mossy Monk

Eglinton wrote:

Wow, I hadn't noticed that. Disgraceful. Surely no legit company can do that under consumer legislation.

yeah. i would have thought that was illegal

User45701

well actually there is nothing wrong with selling something at the any price that someone will pay for it.
I mean if i can buy a music ticket for 100 and sell for 500 why shouldn't i?
its something i have never actually done i did have a plan to do it last ****** but i neer got around to it

The only reason that the sell for such high prices is because you music and sports people wont orginise yourselves to NOT buy them at high prices.
As long as some sports ans music fans are willing to pay they will contunie to cost allot which is fine.

the only time when selling high bothers me is for the children at x-mass its not relay fair to sell something that a child wants from santa for a massive profit because you know parents will have to cough up the doh - thats the only problem with "touting"

If you like something you should be willing to pay the price for example ****** costs what 150? 155 maybe? and can sell for around 500 euro? correct?
so thats just over 3 times the price?

A ticket for dylan moran costs around well actually i cant remember i was quite drunk the last 3 times i went to go see him.
say a ticket to dylan moran costs 30 i would pay 90 or 100 for it which is 3 times the price. me paying that much for it is completely my own fault for not buying a ticket while they where for sale. Then next time i will buy a ticket myself instead of being a lazy ****.

Eglinton

User45701 wrote:

well actually there is nothing wrong with selling something at the any price that someone will pay for it.

I would agree for the case of private individuals, where for example I want to buy a ticket off you and am willing to pay anything to see the band or whatever.

I take issue with the fact that another company deliberately buys up a very large number of tickets and never has any intention of using them themselves - just solely for profit. Ticketmaster have their policy of a ticket limit per person, so that real fans have a fair chance of getting one. Do you think it would be fair if Company X buys every ticket from Company Y when they go on general sale and sell them for 10 times the prices to the fans after?

User45701

Eglinton wrote:

I would agree for the case of private individuals, where for example I want to buy a ticket off you and am willing to pay anything to see the band or whatever.

I take issue with the fact that another company deliberately buys up a very large number of tickets and never has any intention of using them themselves - just solely for profit. Ticketmaster have their policy of a ticket limit per person, so that real fans have a fair chance of getting one. Do you think it would be fair if Company X buys every ticket from Company Y when they go on general sale and sell them for 10 times the prices to the fans after?

Its not fair but what in life is? i dont think its fair that this country is a joke but it still is a joke

Anyway in that case all the fans should "rally" and refuse to buy from the company who will have to drop there price
but as with all things people don't work together

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

It's touting. End of.

Whether it's legal or not is a judiciary issue. If it is, then whether the IRFU, the FAI and the various theaters should allow it is an ethical one.

irish_bob

sure whats another 500 to those rugger fans

an hours work at the 4 courts or performing heart surgery

tHE vAGGABOND

its supply and demand and nothing more...

You can bet next years 6 nations games at Croker [Wales, Scotland and Italy] wont have ticket prices off 900 euro a ticket. People will have gotten over it by then, and I would bet anyone who really wants to go will be able to get their hands on a ticket for the Italy game, if no other.

Everyone wants to get into the English and to a lesser extent the French game. I play rugby, and have had quite a few people who would not know what shape the ball is asking me if I could get them tickets [friend of a friend, who has *no* interest in any sport and could not name more than 3 or 4 players, and wants to pay several hundred euro for a ticket just to disrupt BOTH anthems!].

But go onto Ebay, tickets for sold out concerts like Razorlight and the Killers next month, for example, are selling for more and more, 40 euro tickets going for hundreds..

..supply and demand

indiewindy

tHE vAGGABOND wrote:

its supply and demand and nothing more...

You can bet next years 6 nations games at Croker [Wales, Scotland and Italy] wont have ticket prices off 900 euro a ticket. People will have gotten over it by then, and I would bet anyone who really wants to go will be able to get their hands on a ticket for the Italy game, if no other.

Everyone wants to get into the English and to a lesser extent the French game. I play rugby, and have had quite a few people who would not know what shape the ball is asking me if I could get them tickets [friend of a friend, who has *no* interest in any sport and could not name more than 3 or 4 players, and wants to pay several hundred euro for a ticket just to disrupt BOTH anthems!].

But go onto Ebay, tickets for sold out concerts like Razorlight and the Killers next month, for example, are selling for more and more, 40 euro tickets going for hundreds..

..supply and demand

Yes and also the novelty factor this year, looking at the bidding on ebay people are going potty trying to see some bands when for the same price the can get flights and tickets to see them in other European Countries

connundrum

IMO Tickets for events priced over a certain range ie. €40+ should be sold like airline tickets with a charge for changing the name on the ticket. The name should match the ID going in through the gate.

If I want to go then I'll pay the €40+, if I can't go then I get the ticket changed into my mates name for €20+/-, then my mate gives me €60.

This will stop touts buying loads of tickets in one go surely?

Apparently there was an option on the ticketmaster.ie site for someone to purchase more than the average 6 tickets.. trying to find link

nesf

Tickets will sell for what people are willing to pay for them. If you can't afford the price, or won't pay it, then so long as others are willing to pay it then it's your tough luck. It isn't unfair though.

Whoever said life was fair? Or even particularily nice a fair amount of the time.

Stabshauptmann

People have simplified economic theory a lot here.
Its NOT supply and demand deciding what the price is.

Supply and demand of all buyers and sellers in the market set an equilibrium price. The reason a ticket for EVENT X is €40 is because thats the equilibrium price.

Now some people might be willing to pay more and some wont pay that much but the price that has the largest benefit to buyers and sellers in €40.

Some people might be willing to pay €700 for the same ticket, but if the organiser of EVENT X tried to sell they're tickets for €700 they wouldnt make as much money as they would at €40.

Where the seller can choose a different price for each customer is Perfect Price Discrimination.

It flys in the face of the whole way the economy works! What is the point of my working hard and earning more money than someone else if Im just going to be charged a higher price for everything I buy?!

The event organiser sells all the tickets for the same price, what right has a person or company who has nothing to do with the event to deprive people access (by withholding tickets to make a quick buck).

nesf

Kaptain Redeye wrote:

Supply and demand of all buyers and sellers in the market set an equilibrium price. The reason a ticket for EVENT X is €40 is because thats the equilibrium price.

I'd call that simplistic actually. The fact that the demand has to be guessed before hand and that the price generally cannot react to changes in demand (officially anyways) means that it is only the equilibrium price by chance and shouldn't be taken to actually represent it by default.

The equilibrium price might be far far higher than €40 but due to the limited nature of ticket sales we might never get to see it. The equilibrium cannot be 'set' by the ticket seller happening to print a certain price on the tickets. At most the price says "This is roughly what we expect demand to be but at best it's only a guess".

Plus, as tickets more scarce the equilibrium price will move upwards if demand hasn't already been satisfied. Supply being fixed (for a match anyways) is always going to create these kinds of price hikes if the price can suddenly change (with resellers entering the market for instance), if the demand is still strong when we're down to the last few tickets.


The other point is why are you so against reselling? All a reseller does is bring a market closer to an equilibrium level.

daveirl

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johnp

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Probably true for outside Dublin, but not really in Dublin, it's mostly a D4 sport.