Crackdown on Scalpers For Melbourne’s Comedy Fest
It seems like Melbourne is always a little ahead of the game when it comes to leisure — the solid growth of the live music scene while other states are faltering only one example — and it is showing no sign of stopping.
The Victorian Government is pulling out to all stops to cease the resale of tickets to this year’s Comedy Festival at exorbitant prices.
The Major Events Act 2009 means that by the Government declaring 2019’s Comedy Festival a major event, tickets cannot be advertised or resold for more than 10 per cent above the original value. This means that police and new authorised ticketing officers will have more power in enforcing the law and prosecuting those who break it.
Melbourne’s comedy festival attracts close to 800,000 people each year, and is the third largest in the world. It is also Australia’s largest ticketed cultural event. This makes it a popular target for scalpers, who snatch up tickets to high-demand shows by popular acts before re-listing them through social media or unaudited resale sites.
With the new measures in place for this year’s event, penalties can range from $806 up to $483,500 depending on the nature of the offences.
If you miss out on your tickets to Melbourne Comedy Festival this year, or you can no longer attend, use Tixel exclusively to browse for or list your tickets. The maximum a seller can increase the ticket price is 10% — the same as what is allowed by law — and dedicated measures are in place to ensure no buyer or seller is ripped off, including scanning the tickets to ensure authenticity.
