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Portland Springsteen fan sues ticket reseller
Wednesday, January 16, 2008 | No comments posted.
PORTLAND (AP) — A woman who initially failed to land tickets for Bruce Springsteen’s upcoming concert in Portland has filed a class-action lawsuit against StubHub Inc., the nation’s largest secondary ticket seller, and its parent, eBay.
Sharon Fehrs, a huge fan of The Boss, tried to get four tickets to the March 28 show at the Rose Garden. She got on her computer as tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. As Fehrs tried and failed to find more than one seat, she noticed tickets already available for sale on StubHub. They were going for much more than their $95 face value, said her lawyer, John Neupert.
The lawsuit, filed in Portland, alleges that StubHub and eBay violated the city’s anti-scalping law. She’s asking the court to stop StubHub’s practice and award damages to customers who opt into her lawsuit.
Fehrs’ husband eventually bought two general-admission tickets to Springsteen’s show at face value, but she decided to press forward with the suit.
“She believes that StubHub and eBay operate an illegal secondary market that deprives people of an equitable opportunity to buy tickets at a reasonable price,” Neupert said.
A StubHub spokeswoman said the company does not comment on pending legal matters.
Originally, tickets to Springsteen’s concert in Portland went on sale on comcasttix.com for $65 to $95. Fans now can find them on StubHub for $103 to $1,000.
Ticket reselling sites such as StubHub contend they are not ticket sellers but merely platforms where fans can buy and sell tickets, and set their own prices.
Though rarely enforced, Portland’s anti-scalping ordinance bars anyone from reselling tickets for events at the Rose Garden and city-owned venues for more than the original retail price. Violators face a maximum $500 fine and six months in jail.
Sharon Fehrs, a huge fan of The Boss, tried to get four tickets to the March 28 show at the Rose Garden. She got on her computer as tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. As Fehrs tried and failed to find more than one seat, she noticed tickets already available for sale on StubHub. They were going for much more than their $95 face value, said her lawyer, John Neupert.
The lawsuit, filed in Portland, alleges that StubHub and eBay violated the city’s anti-scalping law. She’s asking the court to stop StubHub’s practice and award damages to customers who opt into her lawsuit.
Fehrs’ husband eventually bought two general-admission tickets to Springsteen’s show at face value, but she decided to press forward with the suit.
“She believes that StubHub and eBay operate an illegal secondary market that deprives people of an equitable opportunity to buy tickets at a reasonable price,” Neupert said.
A StubHub spokeswoman said the company does not comment on pending legal matters.
Originally, tickets to Springsteen’s concert in Portland went on sale on comcasttix.com for $65 to $95. Fans now can find them on StubHub for $103 to $1,000.
Ticket reselling sites such as StubHub contend they are not ticket sellers but merely platforms where fans can buy and sell tickets, and set their own prices.
Though rarely enforced, Portland’s anti-scalping ordinance bars anyone from reselling tickets for events at the Rose Garden and city-owned venues for more than the original retail price. Violators face a maximum $500 fine and six months in jail.
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