The manager of Winnipeg's MTS Centre is urging fans to ignore online scalpers offering tickets to the just-announced Coldplay concert.
Many of the seats being sold by the online agencies don't even exist in the arena, said Kevin Donnelly.
"They are offering [tickets for] section 29, row 20. Section 29 ends at row 12," he said.
"Clearly it shows the need for some regulations within the scalper industry — this internet transaction industry — that doesn't exist here in Manitoba …doesn't exist around the globe."
The online agencies are selling their tickets, which they claim are 100 per cent guaranteed, from $130 to $1,400. Donnelly said tickets for the June 15 show don't even go on sale until Saturday and the three prices levels at the MTS Centre are $49.50, $79.50 and $97.50.
Scalpers pre-sell the tickets for hundreds of dollars over face value even though they don't have them yet. They then purchase the tickets when they go on sale, said Donnelly, who called the practice frustrating and confusing for fans.
The only legitimate place to buy tickets online is at Ticketmaster.ca, he said, noting that is the only company that has complied with his direction to refrain from pre-selling tickets.
Ticketmaster being sued
But even Ticketmaster has been in the news recently for redirecting customers to an affiliated site, TicketsNow, and charging inflated prices. A lawsuit has been launched in Manitoba against Ticketmaster, even though the company has agreed to cease the practice.
Last month, the company reached a settlement with the attorney general of New Jersey to compensate Bruce Springsteen fans who paid inflated prices for concert tickets. Ticketmaster, however, has maintained it has done nothing illegal.
Coldplay, the British pop-rock superstars, were slated to play Winnipeg when their tour kicked off last year but they postponed the gig due to production delays.
Since then, their latest release, Viva la Vida, has gone on to become the best-selling album in the world for 2008. The band also took home three Grammy Awards in January for song of the year, best rock album and best pop performance by a group with vocals.
