Scalpers have always been criticized for speculating and selling tickets. The popular boy group MIRROR and artist Tyson Yoshi have adopted the real-name system for concert tickets to boycott scalpers. Unfortunately, the results have been ineffective, because the scalpers switched to online queuing and purchasing, breaking through the real-name system.
Senior fans of BTS who have purchased concert tickets overseas many times, introduced to "Hong Kong 01" the experience of Japan and South Korea in combating ticket speculation, and pointed out that the two countries are more rigorous and fairer than Hong Kong in terms of real-name ticket purchases and verification methods. .
The Consumer Council pointed out earlier that in the first five months of this year, the proportion of complaints about public performances involving restaurants and entertainment has increased significantly, which is nearly 40% higher than the total number of complaints in the past three years. Remind that online purchasing of tickets may not be protected by the "Commodity Description Regulations", and I hope that consumers should think twice before purchasing.
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Both Japan and South Korea have promoted the real-name system for many years, and it is more fair to add a lottery
Santy, a senior fan of the Korean boy group BTS, shared his experience in combating ticket speculation.
In 2019, BTS went to Hong Kong to hold a concert. The venue was held at the Asia World Expo Arena. Although there was no real-name system, there were a large number of tickets for public sale, about 30,000, and there was no limit to the number of purchases. In addition, the men's team became the only sponsor. In other words, there is no need to reserve some tickets for sponsors, so there are fewer tickets purchased internally, and the overall ticket purchase process is smoother.
Santy has also participated in BTS's overseas concerts including South Korea, Japan, and Thailand. She believes that the experience of combating ticket speculation can be used for reference.
She shared that tickets need to be drawn through the membership-based lottery in the official fan app Weverse.
Buyers need to register as members before the specified date, instead of registering immediately, they can draw lots immediately.
The concert is a flat price, priced at about 1,000 Hong Kong dollars.
Ticket purchase is divided into three stages, the first stage is membership lottery, the second stage is member pre-sale, and the third stage is public sale.
She bluntly said, "It's a lot more fair, I can watch it if I win."
South Korea cracks down on resale ticket admissions for wearing wristband certification
South Korea implemented the real-name system earlier than Hong Kong, and ticket buyers need to enter their full name, date of birth and other information.
There is an identity verification booth at the concert venue. The opening hours are from the morning to 1 hour before the opening. ID verification is required when entering the venue. If it is an overseas fan, only the passport will be recognized and the appearance will be verified. If the verification is successful, the concert staff will hold the ticket. The user should fasten the hard-to-tear hand strap for confirmation.
On the contrary, the real-name system in Hong Kong has long been discovered by netizens, and it has been circulated on the Internet that some people who have successfully purchased tickets want to give tickets to people with the same name and surname.
Japan's crackdown on concert "scalpers" is even more severe.
The organizer stipulates that fans can buy two tickets at the time of lottery, and they need to enter the names of their companions, and the system will automatically detect them.
The party will also randomly check ticket holders at the venue. If the ticket holder is found to be inconsistent with the information on the ticket, they will be prohibited from entering the concert venue.
When concert tickets in Hong Kong are on sale online, even if the real-name system is used, it will be difficult to prevent scalpers from eating.
Because scalpers will "buy their hands" with fans in the form of "purchasing on behalf of others", they will first collect personal information such as fans' names, and then grab tickets on their behalf.
Santy said that in the past, he had only hired "scalpers" to buy a ticket, and he had to pay more than three times the original price to buy a ticket.
The reporter tried to contact the sellers of "scalpers" on the online second-hand trading platform earlier. After entering the keywords, several search results showed that the products were all advertised as bearer tickets, and each ticket was priced at 1,000 to 4,000 yuan. Buyers can select up to several concert days.
However, not many details were provided, such as the number of rows and seat numbers.
When a reporter expresses interest in buying an online seller, the other party asks the reporter to pay a deposit, and reiterates that there is no refund.
Consumer Council: scalpers may not be protected by the Trade Descriptions Ordinance
In response to the inquiries of "Hong Kong 01", the Consumer Council pointed out that it is highly concerned about the issue of purchasing concert tickets online, and pointed out that consumers pay high prices to buy "scalper tickets" through resale platforms, which is a disguise to encourage speculation; it also reminds consumers , If you purchase through unknown online social media, you may not be protected by the current Trade Descriptions Ordinance, and buyers will be empty at any time.
The Consumer Council pointed out that the information on the platform is not clearly marked and there are omissions, and ticket resale platforms generally do not display information such as the number of rows and seat positions of tickets, the price on the ticket, and seat restrictions.
In the event of lost tickets or delayed delivery, the terms and conditions of some platforms do not mention whether refunds can be made and who is responsible.
There is also no specific arrangement for lost tickets.
The Consumer Council also found that although some platforms listed customer service hotlines or email information, but during the actual testing period, the staff never received a response.
Since Section 2 of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance has a clear definition of the term "merchant".
If a person sells goods to consumers as an employee of a company, that person is considered a "merchant", but if a person occasionally sells goods over the Internet in a private name, it is unlikely to be considered a commercial business.
In other words, the transaction may not be defined as a transaction between consumers and merchants, and consumers may not be protected by the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.
According to the information of the Consumer Council, among the complaints concerning public performances in restaurants and entertainment, the number of complaints about sales methods has reached 43 by the end of May in 2022, which is 12 more than the total of 31 in the past three years. , 38.7% higher.
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