BJ Authorities to Combat Scalping Following Mayday Ticket Fiasco

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Beijing authorities have formed a work group to combat ticket scalping, with the issue having come to a head last week when tickets for Mandopop band Mayday sold out within five seconds of going on sale, reports the Global Times (https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202305/1290689.shtml).

Nearly 300,000 tickets to a series of six concerts to be put on by the popular band from mid-May to June at Beijing's National Stadium all disappeared in a flash. The incident has not only left many Mayday fans astonished and dismayed, but it's also spurred local authorities into action following complaints of scalping.

Screenshot of a scalper's prices on WeChat

According to the Global Times report, the work group aims to rectify the issue by managing the origin of the tickets and regulating sales based on real-name system, as well as investigating ticket scalpers online and at venues.

While scalping isn't anything new, it's seeing a resurgence following the lifting of Covid restrictions and resumption of ticketed events. What's more, scalpers now have more means of acquiring tickets for resale ahead of major events, like selling tickets on e-commerce platforms or even on WeChat.

One scalper interviewed by local news outlet New Beijing News (新京报) admitted to advertising his services on his WeChat Moments, offering to secure tickets for fans after a hefty RMB 500 deposit. The scalper says he uses automated software to purchase tickets in large quantities. By doing so, he's able to obtain tickets for resale more quickly than an individual.

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Some events organizers even see scalpers as secondary ticket agents, with the organizers often reserving a portion of tickets to be given to scalpers, China Youth Daily reports (http://cul.china.com.cn/2023-05/15/content_42367573.htm). Another scalper cited in the article said the organizers would reserve tickets for specific areas, like the grandstand or front row seats, which the scalpers view then take and resell at higher prices.

An industry expert revealed to New Beijing News that a well-established resale ticket supply chain exists thanks to the internet. Experienced online organizations hire personnel to secure tickets and instruct them on rapidly accessing links on third-party ticket platforms the moment the tickets go on sale. Once these personnel successfully obtain tickets, they share the information with the organizer in exchange for a substantial commission.

Occasionally, scalpers will sell the tickets on to other scalpers, which only causes prices for resale tickets to increase further. This allows scalpers to appeal to anxious potential buyers, encouraging them to buy tickets fast before the price goes up.

In another example, tickets initially priced at RMB 1855 are being resold for RMB 2700

While the Mayday scalping fiasco has certainly shed a larger light on scalping in Beijing, the efforts of the work group seem to have paid off to an extent. The Global Times says that in the leadup to two other popular music concerts on Apr 29 and May 13, authorities were able to apprehend 20 scalpers.

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Images:  Weibo

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