Here's how it works: scalpers set up fake accounts to buy tickets in bulk on Ticketmaster.com since the website limits how many "tickets one person can buy." The scalpers then sell those tickets at inflated prices on TradeDesk.
When CBC's undercover reporter asked a Ticketmaster representative whether the company will police the use of multiple accounts, he said, "No. I have a gentleman who's got over 200 Ticketmaster.com accounts."
Ticketmaster can then make money off fees from the initial ticket sale and the resold scalped ticket. For example, CBC analyzed ticket sales for a Bruno Mars concert and calculated that Ticketmaster could make up to $658,000 in fees – half of that coming from scalped tickets.
"I'm hoping from an investigation like this, we're really bringing transparency so that people could look at this and ask whether this is right, moral, ethical, legal," Seglins said.
In a statement to the Toronto Star and CBC, Ticketmaster says in part that it offers "a safe and fair place for fans to shop, buy, and sell tickets" and that it operates that "marketplace more transparently and securely than any other."
In a statement to CBS News, Ticketmaster said, "It is categorically untrue that Ticketmaster has any program in place to enable resellers to acquire large volumes of tickets at the expense of consumers." It also said it has begun an "internal review of [its] professional reseller accounts and employee practices."
Ticketmaster boasts that it "strives to put fans first. Every day we're listening to your feedback and working to improve your experience before, during, and after events."
Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010 to create Live Nation Entertainment. According to the Ticketmaster website, "Now you have more options than ever to enjoy live events, and things are only getting better."
