Should Pearl Jam continue with non-transferable tickets?

OceansJenny

We have had a bit of experience with the transfer restrictions on the aborted 2020 tour and now the EV tour. Wanted to get a pulse on the current thoughts on whether the transfer restrictions have been beneficial or not compared to prior tours and/or other ticketing experiences.

Weston1283

Yes - the current system is helping keep out scalpers and allowing fans to get tickets at face

I thought that Fan to Fan was excellent when we had it in 2020.  Gave fans a chance to buy 10c for face value after missing out, and sellers are able to list them in the event they can’t make it.  What more can you want than that?

2-feign-reluctance

Keep the mustache, oops, wrong poll!! 

bbiggs

No - the current system is not working and I would like all tickets to be transferable again (explain)

Ticket transfers should be allowed for all shows.  If the pending tour's ticket system resembles the recent EV tour's in any way, they're not accomplishing the goal of keeping tickets out of the hands of scalpers, assuming that is even a goal.  They're just pushing them into the hands of one giant scalper (Ticketmaster) rather than several small ones.  The Platinum pricing and held back tickets by TM is a complete scam that left a sour taste in a lot of mouths. 

JojoRice

Yes - the current system is helping keep out scalpers and allowing fans to get tickets at face

I liked the 2020 Fan to Fan option. Very easy to use and a great way of getting extra tickets or selling your tickets if you can't go. 

Human Tide

Maybe - the current system could work but needs some modifications (explain)

I believe a simple solution would be to maintain non-transferable tickets, but with 2 key requirements:

1) The fan-to-fan face value ticket exchange is made available immediately or shortly after the main on-sale, with a firm commitment. It was a scam to promise the exchange but then delay it for 2 months while TM scalped their Platinum tickets. They basically manufactured the "overwhelming" demand they advertised, even though it didn't really exist. I'm amazed that this could be legal. Maybe it's not... 

2) Ticketmaster does not hold back tickets for their Official Platinum scam. Or if the artists insist on allowing Platinum sales, the percentage of tickets held back should be disclosed and the Platinum tickets should have to compete with the fan-to-fan exchange. Just getting rid of Platinum would be better. EV and/or PJ can charge as much as they want, but let's avoid screwing fans over with Ticketmaster's dishonest shenanigans. 

patkelly12

No - the current system is not working and I would like all tickets to be transferable again (explain)

You should be able transfer your ticket on the TM site for prices below what the purchaser paid (that includes Platinum). At any and all times. The artists got their money. To prevent someone from getting rid of their ticket so that the artist can maximize THEIR profit (while harming the fans) is reprehensible.

RatherStarved

No - the current system is not working and I would like all tickets to be transferable again (explain)

bbiggs said:

Ticket transfers should be allowed for all shows.  If the pending tour's ticket system resembles the recent EV tour's in any way, they're not accomplishing the goal of keeping tickets out of the hands of scalpers, assuming that is even a goal.  They're just pushing them into the hands of one giant scalper (Ticketmaster) rather than several small ones.  The Platinum pricing and held back tickets by TM is a complete scam that left a sour taste in a lot of mouths. 

+1

There shouldn’t be both non-transferability and dynamic pricing.  One or the other or neither.  

patkelly12

No - the current system is not working and I would like all tickets to be transferable again (explain)

Platinum and dynamic pricing aren't going away. Fine. But don't say we need those tools in today's ticketing market while not extending them to others who want to sell theirs. You can still keep a cap on resale price (to ensure resales for profit aren't taking place). I have a huge problem with the "free market dynamics" for me and not for thee strategy.

Zod

Yes - the current system is helping keep out scalpers and allowing fans to get tickets at face

I think the non-transferrable and platinum are two different arguments:

1) Yes, to keep using non-transferrable.   PJ often sells tickets below market value.  If they're going to sell them below market value, it helps to increase the chances they're used by fans and not scalped.  I did like 2018 tour idea of 10c tickets being non-transferrable.  I had no problem with that. I also liked the 2020 evolution into the fan2fan portal.   Makes it easy to sell tickets at face, and gives other fans a chance to get tickets to a show they missed out on.  

2) Platinum pricing.  It's left a sour taste in my mouth.  Paid a bunch for night 1 tickets, only to see a bunch posted today at close to face value prices even closer.  Makes me feel like I got taken for the extra I paid for further away tickets.   I fully understand why it's used.   It cuts out scalpers, and TM/Promoter/Band all make more money using it.  It benefits everyone in that industry.   That being said as a fan, and how it went down for the EV shows.  I feel like they allocated too many tickets.   Seattle just put up full rows and sections of tickets. Between what they've sold over the past few months, it feels like a really big portion of the venue was never put up for sale to us plebs.  It also didn't feel great the delayed the F2F ticket selling to sell more platinum tickets.   Kind of screwed some fans over.   Who's going to buy those over priced seattle platinum tickets when now TM and Fan2Fan are offloading tickets at cheaper prices.

That's my thoughts.  Non-Transferrable, yay!, platinum, boo-urns!

It seems like a less than honorary idea to have both systems going at the same time.   I agree with other posters to open up F2F right away, and limit the # of platinum tickets.

Hopefully this was an EV only thing, and future PJ tours keep doing what they're doing.

Cropduster-80

I find fan to fan just as ridiculous as platinum seats.  Fan to fan is basically fans who artificially inflate demand and request tickets to shows they aren’t even sure they are even going to. It’s not any better when a large chunk of people sell tickets for face value instead of at a profit when most of them probably shouldn’t have bought them in the first place. I like the idea generally of fan club seats of any popular band being will call only to the original purchaser only or any other way that links a ticket to a person 

If I buy I non refundable airline ticket and can’t go, I can’t sell my ticket to my buddy for face value.  Therefore I don’t buy that ticket unless I’m sure I’m going 

TM seats, that’s fair game for whatever as you shouldn’t  sell platinum seats and then tell me what price I can sell my ticket for. I do think there is a distinction between fan club seats and TM seats 

mattcoz

Maybe - the current system could work but needs some modifications (explain)

Human Tide said:

I believe a simple solution would be to maintain non-transferable tickets, but with 2 key requirements:

1) The fan-to-fan face value ticket exchange is made available immediately or shortly after the main on-sale, with a firm commitment. It was a scam to promise the exchange but then delay it for 2 months while TM scalped their Platinum tickets. I'm amazed that this is legal. 

2) Ticketmaster does not hold back tickets for their Official Platinum scam. Or if the artists insist on allowing Platinum sales, the percentage of tickets held back should be disclosed and the Platinum tickets should have to compete with the fan-to-fan exchange. Just getting rid of Platinum would be better. EV and/or PJ can charge as much as they want, but let's avoid screwing fans over with Ticketmaster's dishonest shenanigans. 

This.

Luckytwn1

No - the current system is not working and I would like all tickets to be transferable again (explain)

Absolutely not on non-transferable tickets. Ed's tour shows why NY and IL have dictated tickets must be transferable. Platinum Ticketing is here and not going anywhere so that's not even worth discussing. It is the new industry standard.

But Pearl Jam is one of the few, if not only, acts using the fan to fan ticket exchange and it is awful. I have been a 10C member since 1994. 10C ticketing is a privilege and of course, tickets should not be sold for above face value. But to not to allow people to list for BELOW face value is ridiculous when it is the only place you can sell your tickets and quite clearly done to prop the market up. Many people in LA who otherwise would have eaten tickets are actually now bailed out by the show being postponed.

pjhawks

No - the current system is not working and I would like all tickets to be transferable again (explain)

If PJ insists on shorter tours and doing tickets per leg not having secondary market tickets makes it much harder for fans to see more than 1 show per leg. An East Coast leg makes it almost impossible to get tickets to your second or later choice.  I like the stub hub option for concerts.  It gives me the choice to decide how much I want to pay to see a band:  The Who is coming to Philly but original prices are ridiculous so no need for me to purchase months ahead of time.  I’ll decide as the show gets closer if I want to pay the prices at that time. That works for me but I understand some don’t share that view. I understand a band not wanting secondary market tickets but honestly don’t understand fans who are against it.  In the long run no secondary market ultimately be limits availability to shows to consumers. 

Wouldn’t it be better for those that had Baltimore tickets if secondary market tickets as available for other shows?  Now they are shut out most likely for other shows.  That sucks for them.  

Zod

Yes - the current system is helping keep out scalpers and allowing fans to get tickets at face

Not including the platinum issue.

If it's fan2fan and the only tix available were at face value. Then every venue is full of fans that paid face value.  

I guess the ethical problem in the concert industry, is quite often people are willing to pay more for tickets than the band is charging.  Quite a number of people have more capacity to buy tickets than other people.  Do you focus on making your concerts more accessible to people with moderate income, or do you focus on making them more accessible to people with $$.

pjl44

Yes - the current system is helping keep out scalpers and allowing fans to get tickets at face

I agree with Yankee 2B Legend Pat Kelly that you should be able to sell below face on f2f. It doesn't seem hard to let you set your price with face being the max but what do I know.

mpedone

Maybe - the current system could work but needs some modifications (explain)

I like the prevention of scalping, but I don't like the "platinum tickets" thing.

I also agree that users should be allowed to set a price, with Face Value being the limit.

tschav

Maybe - the current system could work but needs some modifications (explain)

Human Tide said:

I believe a simple solution would be to maintain non-transferable tickets, but with 2 key requirements:

1) The fan-to-fan face value ticket exchange is made available immediately or shortly after the main on-sale, with a firm commitment. It was a scam to promise the exchange but then delay it for 2 months while TM scalped their Platinum tickets. I'm amazed that this is legal. 

2) Ticketmaster does not hold back tickets for their Official Platinum scam. Or if the artists insist on allowing Platinum sales, the percentage of tickets held back should be disclosed and the Platinum tickets should have to compete with the fan-to-fan exchange. Just getting rid of Platinum would be better. EV and/or PJ can charge as much as they want, but let's avoid screwing fans over with Ticketmaster's dishonest shenanigans. 

Totally agree on both points. If the F2F exchange existed and was live weeks before the tour I’d bet most people would be happier in how everything shook out.

Poncier

patkelly12 said:

Platinum and dynamic pricing aren't going away. Fine. 

They can go away for shows if the artist requests it. Just look at what Garth Brooks is doing. All tix for his current slate of shows are $84.70 plus fees (which are only $7.25). No dynamic pricing, no VIP packages, no Platinum seating, no extra 20 bucks for aisle seats, no charity seats for $500.00, none of it. 
The only reason there are platinum tickets to EV's shows is he agreed to let it happen.

bbiggs

No - the current system is not working and I would like all tickets to be transferable again (explain)

Poncier said:

patkelly12 said:

Platinum and dynamic pricing aren't going away. Fine. 

They can go away for shows if the artist requests it. Just look at what Garth Brooks is doing. All tix for his current slate of shows are $84.70 plus fees (which are only $7.25). No dynamic pricing, no VIP packages, no Platinum seating, no extra 20 bucks for aisle seats, no charity seats for $500.00, none of it. 
The only reason there are platinum tickets to EV's shows is he agreed to let it happen.

Wow.  Didn't realize that.  I'm guessing Garth Brooks still has a massive fan base too (could be wrong - I don't listen to country), so this proves the artist has full control. 

patkelly12

No - the current system is not working and I would like all tickets to be transferable again (explain)

Of course the artists have control. Only the cucks believe they don't. That is why its not going away.

Poncier

bbiggs said:

Poncier said:

patkelly12 said:

Platinum and dynamic pricing aren't going away. Fine. 

They can go away for shows if the artist requests it. Just look at what Garth Brooks is doing. All tix for his current slate of shows are $84.70 plus fees (which are only $7.25). No dynamic pricing, no VIP packages, no Platinum seating, no extra 20 bucks for aisle seats, no charity seats for $500.00, none of it. 
The only reason there are platinum tickets to EV's shows is he agreed to let it happen.

Wow.  Didn't realize that.  I'm guessing Garth Brooks still has a massive fan base too (could be wrong - I don't listen to country), so this proves the artist has full control. 

Yep, he's playing football stadiums (and selling most of them out).
I don't listen to country either, but great respect to this guy for treating his fans fairly.

bbiggs

No - the current system is not working and I would like all tickets to be transferable again (explain)

Poncier said:

bbiggs said:

Poncier said:

patkelly12 said:

Platinum and dynamic pricing aren't going away. Fine. 

They can go away for shows if the artist requests it. Just look at what Garth Brooks is doing. All tix for his current slate of shows are $84.70 plus fees (which are only $7.25). No dynamic pricing, no VIP packages, no Platinum seating, no extra 20 bucks for aisle seats, no charity seats for $500.00, none of it. 
The only reason there are platinum tickets to EV's shows is he agreed to let it happen.

Wow.  Didn't realize that.  I'm guessing Garth Brooks still has a massive fan base too (could be wrong - I don't listen to country), so this proves the artist has full control. 

Yep, he's playing football stadiums (and selling most of them out).
I don't listen to country either, but great respect to this guy for treating his fans fairly.

Amen.  This recent TM debacle was eye opening.

pjl44

Yes - the current system is helping keep out scalpers and allowing fans to get tickets at face

I wonder if they would ever consider lower prices on 10C tix and make them completely non-transferable. Would fans take that trade-off? Probably a massive headache from a number of angles but not my problem so just throwing it out there. 

Poncier

pjl44 said:

I wonder if they would ever consider lower prices on 10C tix and make them completely non-transferable. Would fans take that trade-off? Probably a massive headache from a number of angles but not my problem so just throwing it out there. 

I mean, that's basically what they used to do.

pjl44

Yes - the current system is helping keep out scalpers and allowing fans to get tickets at face

Poncier said:

pjl44 said:

I wonder if they would ever consider lower prices on 10C tix and make them completely non-transferable. Would fans take that trade-off? Probably a massive headache from a number of angles but not my problem so just throwing it out there. 

I mean, that's basically what they used to do.

Minus the cheaper price, yeah. Maybe you saved a little on fees? I'm just thinking of the biiiiiig increases the last few tours. Which I generally have no issue with, by the way. 

Poncier

pjl44 said:

Poncier said:

pjl44 said:

I wonder if they would ever consider lower prices on 10C tix and make them completely non-transferable. Would fans take that trade-off? Probably a massive headache from a number of angles but not my problem so just throwing it out there. 

I mean, that's basically what they used to do.

Minus the cheaper price, yeah. Maybe you saved a little on fees? I'm just thinking of the biiiiiig increases the last few tours. Which I generally have no issue with, by the way. 

I've never had issue with the cost of PJ tix, they've always been reasonably priced for the marketplace (folks who rail about them not being $23.00 like they were in 1996 are clearly not being realistic or reasonable). And they (the band) have yet to do Platinum tix. So hopefully EV's Earthlings tour is an outlier and PJ tix (if and when new shows are announced) are at their usual reasonable level.
I expect them to be a bit higher than last shows they sold, but so long as it's a fair increase I take no issue.

Luckytwn1

No - the current system is not working and I would like all tickets to be transferable again (explain)

bbiggs said:

Poncier said:

patkelly12 said:

Platinum and dynamic pricing aren't going away. Fine. 

They can go away for shows if the artist requests it. Just look at what Garth Brooks is doing. All tix for his current slate of shows are $84.70 plus fees (which are only $7.25). No dynamic pricing, no VIP packages, no Platinum seating, no extra 20 bucks for aisle seats, no charity seats for $500.00, none of it. 
The only reason there are platinum tickets to EV's shows is he agreed to let it happen.

Wow.  Didn't realize that.  I'm guessing Garth Brooks still has a massive fan base too (could be wrong - I don't listen to country), so this proves the artist has full control. 

Of course, the artist has full control. If the artist doesn't want platinum pricing then they have to take much less to play the show. I'm sure Ed's tour is expensive to mount with the band he has and then the venues are quite small. The platinum pricing is understandable but not when combined with the F2F and also when 10C tickets are mostly worse in terms of seat position.

The other issue with the way the platinum ticketing has been handled for Ed's tour, if you look at The Who tour there are tons and tons of platinum tickets but they were all released during the onsale so you can see what's there and how the show is selling. When I saw The Who in 2019, I bought 7th row platinum seats that started at close to $1000 and gradually came down. A few weeks before the show I paid $350. Here the platinum tickets have been released in drips and drabs with all sorts of varying pricing so you really have to track it to know the market.