The scalpers are at it again.
Tickets for Cantopop star Andy Lau’s world tour sold out within minutes of going on sale yesterday, with scalped passes for the show appearing on third-party ticketing websites at extortionate prices.
According to Apple Daily, tickets went on sale online at around 10am but many fans, contending with a crashing website, struggled to buy them.
Likely contributing to the online rush was the decision by URBTIX, the official ticketing platform for the concert, to cease over-the-counter ticket sales for safety reasons after a man queueing overnight in Chai Wan to secure seats was stabbed by two men.
As well as shifting sales to strictly online or via phone, the attack — for which four people were arrested — prompted Andy Lau to address fans directly about the safety concerns.
The star also appeared in a Hong Kong police video urging fans not to buy scalped tickets.
But, alas, it doesn’t seem like they now have a choice, with the URBTIX page for the concert now showing all seats are gone.
So instead of paying the official fee — which ranges between HK$380 to HK$980 (US$48 to US$125) — fans now face prices of at least HK$3,000 (US$382) on resell sites like Viagogo and Stubhub.
Apple Daily even spotted tickets going for as much as HK$38,888 (US$4,950.)
This all comes after a pledge in April by chief executive Carrie Lam to clamp down on ticket touts following public outcry from fans who were furious that they were being priced out of seeing their favorite musicians or comedians.
According to the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance, reselling tickets without consent is illegal, and offenders can be fined up to HK$2,000 (US$255).
Doesn’t seem to be working.
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