Ticket Scalper Strike Out: How the Savannah Bananas are cracking down on secondary market upcharges
Baseball's hottest ticket is seeing sell out game after sell out game. And that's leading some to go after big profits.
Baseball's hottest ticket is seeing sell out game after sell out game. And that's leading some to go after big profits.
Baseball's hottest ticket is seeing sell out game after sell out game. And that's leading some to go after big profits.
A warning from the Savannah Bananas to people thinking about scalping their tickets.
The organization is exploring every option to stop them from selling tickets for more than the retail price, and that includes exploring possible legal action.
A ticket to a Bananas game is arguably one of the hardest to get in sports. Baseball coupled with unconventional fan entertainment has lead to sell out stadiums home and on road. There is a waiting list to buy tickets.
“It has been so hard to get tickets. And we finally got tickets and we are so excited to be here” said one fan.
The Bananas' moto is simple.
“Fans first, entertain always, and that translates to what you see on the field. That translates to the way that we answer the phone, our voicemail, our ticketing experience,” said Carson Bowen, Director of Ticket Experience.
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The ticket prices are also affordable.
“So our base ticket price is $35 across the tour. And here in Savannah, that includes iconic concessions. Hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken sandwiches, popcorn chips, cookies, drinks, everything included for $35,” said Bowen.
The best bargain in baseball has attracted people buying tickets at face value and reselling them to individuals or to ticket brokers at an enormous market up. A quick internet search found companies like Ticketmaster offering to re-sell two tickets for general admission seats for a Bananas home game in July.
Ticketmaster said it does not purchase tickets but resells tickets sold by individual buyers who set the price.
Last year, team owner Jesse Cole refused a million dollar offer from a ticket broker to sell Bananas tickets for its world tour.
Cole feared the company would increase prices and no longer make them affordable.
Bowen said “those people that are taking advantage of the situation. They’re not interested in elevating our cause or helping push joy to the world. They're just looking to make a quick buck.”
The team has rolled out new methods to protect its brand from being exploited by potential scalpers. One method is a system that verify’ s a customer’s email address to a cell phone number. If the organization finds inconsistencies with the emails, phone numbers and the number of people using either, the tickets are confiscated. And the person could be blocked from buying tickets in the future.
Asked the reaction when the organization finds a potential scalper, Bowen said, “It feels good when you put on your little Sherlock Holmes cap and can follow the breadcrumbs of the system and find someone that's exploiting it and. And really nail them.”
The Bananas could also play hard ball with anyone suspected of scalping tickets.
According to the Attorney General's Office of Georgia, it is against the law for an individual to resell a ticket three dollars above the retail price.
In South Carolina, it is against the law to sell the ticket a dollar above retail.
“The Bananas will be playing at bigger stadiums, more exciting stadiums next year. So the opportunities to get tickets the real way through the Bananas will only increase in the future,” said Bowen.