Tag: ticket

  • Coldplay ticket scalping fiasco sparks backlash in India

    Coldplay ticket scalping fiasco sparks backlash in India

    British rock band Coldplay’s upcoming tour of India has triggered a police investigation and dismayed fans after scalpers bought up cheap tickets to resell online for more than $1,000 apiece.

    Thousands of music fans tried and failed to buy tickets for three concerts scheduled in financial hub Mumbai next January, sold by popular Indian online ticket portal BookMyShow.

    All three shows sold out in minutes, and those who missed out were infuriated when they saw $70 (6,000-rupee) tickets appear on resale websites at vastly inflated prices.

    “The tickets are being sold at 10 times, 20 times, 30 times the price that is being sold on the website itself,” student Anna Abraham, 19, told AFP.

    “I wouldn’t feel good about it myself if I knew that I paid for something 30 times more than what I could have paid for.”

    Local media reports said BookMyShow’s chief operating officer was questioned by police Monday after a complaint brought by Mumbai lawyer Amit Vyas, who claimed the vendor was working with “black marketeers” to make an extra windfall on ticket sales.

    “I checked with nearly 100 people who I know are regulars at concerts, none of them had gotten a ticket,” Vyas said, according to the Indian Express newspaper.

    “This made me suspicious. I then decided to approach the police as I knew that something was amiss.”

    BookMyShow issued a statement after the public backlash began last week, saying it had “no association” with unauthorised ticket selling.

    “Scalping and black marketing of tickets is strictly condemned and punishable by law in India and BookMyShow vehemently opposes this practice,” the company said.

    Controversies surrounding tickets for major international musical or sporting events are not new.

    US megastar Taylor Swift lashed out at Ticketmaster in 2022 following fan anger over sales to concerts staged for her globe-spanning ‘The Eras Tour’.

    The debacle sparked debate over the Ticketmaster’s privileged position in the industry amid fan complaints of hidden fees, rampant ticket scalping and limited tickets due to presales.

  • Islamabad police launches crackdown against unregistered vehicles

    Islamabad police launches crackdown against unregistered vehicles

    The Islamabad Capital Territory Police (ICTP) has initiated a crackdown against unregistered vehicles in the federal capital.

    Details reveal that during the current year 2022, 8,951 unregistered cars, trucks, and motorbikes received fines from the ICT police.

    For the purpose of inspecting the unregistered vehicles operating on the roads, special enforcement squads have been formed.

    The campaign was started on the orders of Inspector-General of the Islamabad Police, Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan, and is being led by SSP Traffic Dr. Syed Mustafa Tanweer.

    Additionally, the Sabzi Mandi Police areas were the scene of several dacoity occurrences that were busted by the Islamabad Capital Territory Police.

    Three members of a dacoit gang who were involved in several episodes of snatching and street crimes were apprehended by a police team from Sabzi Mandi Police Station employing the most recent technology and human resources.

    The defendants were named as Munir Ahmed, Muhammad Shafiq, and Raja Zahoor.

    A motorbike, three 30-bore handguns, and a dagger used in these sleazy events were also found by police.

    The suspects admitted their involvement in dacoity occurrences in the Sabzi Mandi areas during the preliminary investigation.