A Fraud That Often Goes Under the Radar: Ticketmaster

I've been noticing something the last few weeks, and it's finally motivated me to do a post on something that I know most sports (and other) fans gripe about.

It's Ticketmaster.

Ticketbastard, as we all like to call it, has been called on the carpet a number of times for shady dealings with respect to the tickets it has on sale.

Well, I think we might have to put it to the test again.

As a professional wrestling fan (though Vince McMahon likes to test that three-decade relationship from time to time), I have been keeping an eye on tickets to WrestleMania in my old stomping grounds of the Bay Area.

(Note:  The WWE is doing this year's biggest card as simply "WrestleMania", NOT "WrestleMania XXXI" or the like.)

Anyhow, I've been keeping an eye on tickets ever since I had the money to buy them, about two weeks after they went on sale.

I'm probably NOT going to be in Levi's Stadium as a result!

Why?

Well, it sounds like Ticketmaster is getting suspicious.

And what started it popped up on Thursday.

Dave Meltzer is one of the most respected wrestling "sheet" writers, and has been for many years now.  He writes the Wrestling Observer newsletter.

On Thursday, wrestling blogger Scott Keith reported, with Meltzer as a source, that between 11,000 and 12,000 WrestleMania tickets were still available.

So I decided to do some research...

First off, because I saw something that indicated that this was news to Ticketmaster!



And it's stated that for quite some time.  (I just pulled this up as of the time I blogged this post.)

So, now, I attempt to go find some tickets and find a couple of very interesting facts.

I had been having trouble finding any ticket below $175 + at least $25 in fees (+ almost certainly another $7 or so for actually doing the order and mailing me the ticket).

So, 3:27 PM Pacific Time this afternoon, I hit a search for tickets available in the three lowest price denominations (all of which I could still do), and find...

That for the first time in MONTHS, I can get a $94 ticket, and so I snagged it.

It'll make March tight, but  think I can get through it.  (It would've been much better if I could've done this in another previous month, but OK...)

But here's the thing:  First off, the site says there are few tickets left.  Second, I had literally been checking tickets for MONTHS and got nothing cheaper than $175+$25.

So Ticketmaster was either holding back tickets, lying, or (because of Vince's booking) got a shit-ton of returns or transfers or the like.

Because they are now selling 4-packs of tickets to the event for $200.

Ticketmaster, you are something else.

Watch your backs, people.