An Anti-Scalper Policy With Teeth
Originally published in Pollstar on August 5, 2005
Nine Inch Nails has launched a special ticketing program for its upcoming U.S. tour. A two-tiered effort to combat ticket scalping has been put in place to give fans a better chance at getting premium seating for the concerts.
Through the band's fan club ticketing and online auction program, Nine Inch Nails is aiming to prevent scalpers from selling its tickets at inflated unauthorized prices. The band will donate to charity what would have been the scalpers' proceeds.
Phase one of the program established a special Nine Inch Nails fan club to enable members to exclusively obtain the best tickets for the tour. In an effort to reduce scalper access, no other advance ticket programs through venues, radio stations, e-mail lists or sponsors were offered.
Members who purchase tickets through the NIN fan club program will be directed to pick up their tickets 30 minutes before doors open in each city and will be immediately escorted into the venue.
"We've put extra effort into developing this program as an effective way to ensure that Nine Inch Nails fans get into the show with the best possible tickets. The only complaints will be from scalpers and those who want to put our true fans at a disadvantage," NIN mastermind Trent Reznor said.
The second phase of the ticketing program includes a series of online auctions conducted through Ticketmaster. Beginning August 8 at noon local time, fans may log on to www.ticketmaster.com/nineinchnailsauctions to bid on premium concert tickets for NIN shows at 19 venues throughout the U.S. and Canada. Auctions for additional shows will go live on August 22nd.
Proceeds above face value ticket price from the online auctions will be directed to the non-profit organization The Innocence Project, which provides post-conviction DNA testing which can yield conclusive proof of innocence.
"We know we cannot stop all ticket reselling but if we can redirect some of that unauthorized margin to a good cause like the Innocence Project, it makes me feel like we have done something worthwhile," Reznor said.