ORIGINAL STORY: 2016 has been a controversial year for concert ticket sales, especially when it comes to scalping, but what you might not know is that the reason you missed out on your Adele or Crowded House tickets could have a lot to do with the rise of ticketing bots.
Ticketing bots can buy thousands of tickets in seconds, which results in those same tickets being places on third-party resellers (for ridiculous price) like eBay, Gumtree and Ticketmaster Resale.
In the last couple of months, we’ve seen Crowded House tickets up for resale for up to $1,500 and Adele tickets being flogged for more than $5,500.
Now, the US is leading the way in the fight against ticketing bots and the scalpers who run them, this week passing legislation banning the practice. After the legislation is signed off by President Obama, offenders will face real jail time for using ticket bots.
Consequence Of Sounds reports that the bill was sponsored by Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, who said the legislation will aim to “level the playing field” for people trying to buy tickets legitimately.
The bill states that the bots are to now be considered “an unfair and deceptive practice” which violate the Federal Trade Comission Act.
Here’s hoping that Australia’s follows their lead.
