6A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
MONDAY,APRIL1,2002
TICKETS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
"Brokers argued that there is no other commodity that is regulated like that," Burke said. "It is a free enterprise, the selling of any commodity. If we stop selling tickets at a higher price, what is next? I can sell you my gallon of milk or a loaf of bread for more than I paid. So why just tickets?"
Burke also said that with tickets brokered out of stores like Ace and Ticket Solutions, the state collected sales tax twice.
Burke said the legislators also ruled against banning the practice because they thought that scalpers were often the only way to get tickets to sporting events in Kansas. Legislators also agreed that any fans willing to pay a higher price should be allowed to do so, he said.
After the state-wide attempt failed, NASCAR took its fight to the unified governments of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan. There the ban passed
unanimously.
But the effort has not stopped businesses such as Ace and Ticket Solutions, across the county line in Johnson County. Tate said the Wyandotte County law affected only those ticket holders who bought tickets in Wyandotte County.
"If you, as a season ticket holder, buy your tickets from us and we find out you have gone and sold your ticket to another person at higher than face value, we can revoke your season ticket privileges," Tate said.
A ticket office representative at the speedway, who asked not to be identified, said in its inaugural year the speedway had a major problem with ticket reselling though it had been made illegal.
"We had a big problem with seats on eBay" the representative said. eBay is a popular online auction site.
The representative said the speedway planned to crack down on businesses like those in
Johnson County that specialize in ticket reselling.
The representative said Ace Sports and Tickets was a notable problem.
"We are trying to guard against people like them. We have control numbers printed on the tickets. We would send people in, I guess you could say it was under cover, to go in, look at tickets and memorize numbers. We can then see who sold the tickets to Ace."
Tate confirmed that tracking numbers were used on tickets and checked at Ace Sports and Tickets. He added that the ticket privileges of some season ticket holders had been revoked, but he could not comment on the exact numbers.
Wagner, said his business did nothing illegal by selling speedway tickets at an inflated price.
"People who buy from me are very happy. People who sell to me are very happy," Wagner said. "We get tickets to people after the market is sold out."
Diana Grover, director of ticket operations for the University of Kansas, said the University did little to stop scalpers.
Sometimes ticket operations staff walk among the fans buying tickets from scalpers, Grover said. They try to lay a guilt trip on them, by telling them are not investing in the University, she said.
Grover said the only control the University had over any ticket reselling was through an agreement with faculty and staff who purchased season tickets.
"We have an agreement with them that they are not supposed to sell it for profit," Grover said. "They receive a 20 percent discount because they are an employee, so we ask that they don't violate this policy."
Grover said an employee tried to sell discounted season tickets on eBay once. When the University found the tickets on the Web site, the seats were traced back to the employee and a warning was issued.
But there is more the University could do if it had the political will.
Attorney Bill Sneed represents the speedway. He said getting scalping stopped in Lawrence would be as easy as asking the local government to pass a law banning the practice. City officials agreed.
City mayor. "The city of Lawrence has the same powers as the joint governments of Wyandotte and Kansas City, Kansas," said David Corliss, assistant Lawrence city manager. "The city could adopt an ordinance if the University proposed one and the commission felt it was needed."
Although Wichita, Topeka and other local governments in Kansas are beginning to outlaw brokering, Wagner, Ace Sports and Tickets owner, predicted that brokering and scalping would someday be a legal business across the nation.
"What it is, is free enterprise at its best. People don't have to come in here and buy or sell a ticket, but it is a whole lot safer than buying from some guy in a parking lot," Wagner said. "People are coming here, to a controlled environment where they
Free Valueve Sealnere
Face Value of Scalpels
- NCAA Men's Tournament
Final Four
Face Value: $160
Scalpers: $5000
- Winston Cup at Kansas
Speedway
Face Value: $65-$135
Scalpers: $1000 and up
- Kansas vs. Missouri Men's
Basketball
Face Value: $25
Scalpers: $800 and up
pay sales tax that goes right back to the state. I pay income tax, a percentage of that goes to the state and federal governments. It's better to have it controlled like this, than for the legislature to pass it on the state level. It is like when they took back prohibition because they knew they couldn't stop it."
Contact Tims at jtims@kansan.com. This story was edited by Kristi Henderson and Sarah Warren.
FREE ADVANCE SCREENING
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
@ Woodruff Auditorium
8:00 PM Tuesday
April 2, 2002
FREE ADMISSION
INFO?: call 785-864-3477
www.ukans.edu/~sua
- Pick up passes at SUA Office Kansas Union, 4th Floor, 2 passes per KU I.D. Passes will be distributed from the SUA office the day of the event.
Passes required. Seating is limited and not guaranteed.Please arrive early. Presented in association with Student Union Activities.
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