'Will my tickets get canceled now?' people who purchased tickets from scalpers during the Diljit-Coldplay mania ask
Oct 4, 2024, 14:59 IST
When A (name kept anonymous) bought tickets for the 2025 Coldplay concert in Mumbai from a certain “concert organizer” account on Instagram, they were over the moon. Yes, the tickets were exorbitantly expensive, way above the prices advertised on BookMyShow (BMS), the official ticketing partner. But so what? What mattered was that they could finally attend Coldplay's concert.
At 12 noon on September 22, when bookings for Coldplay’s 2025 India leg of “Music of the Sphere” world tour had commenced, A was also in line, having logged in since 11:30 am, from 4 different screens and through 6 cousins.
But God, and BMS were in no mood to reward her efforts and patience. The ticket sale lasted for a mere few seconds, before the site crashed and all tickets were sold out. Turns out, even the second time wasn’t the charm for them.
The first time, too, A had not been able to get tickets for Diljit’s Dil-luminati India tour, which had gone live earlier last month. They had applied for an HDFC Pixel credit card to access the early-bird offer, but it was as if luck was taunting them “vibe teri meri na mildi aa”. could not get tickets for Diljit’s concert as well, which had also vanished within minutes of going live, much like Coldplay's.
That’s why, when they saw that tickets for both Diljit and Coldplay were being sold by various Instagram accounts, despite showing as sold out on Zomato Live and BookMyShow, it seemed magical to A. And per Coldplay, “If you were to ask me, after all that we've been through. Still believe in magic?”, the only acceptable response is “Yes I do, of course I do!”
So, they went ahead, agreed to pay Rs 35,000, and bought Coldplay tickets which would’ve cost them Rs 6,450 via BMS. A steep price to pay, but at least they had their ticket to “an experience of a lifetime!”. As it is, the band had announced its retirement post its 12th album, and the band had just launched its 10th album, "Moon Music".
The ticketing platform added that they had provided details of all resellers that had caught their sight, including independent individuals reselling tickets for Coldplay’s tour across social media platforms such as Instagram (where A had purchased their tickets from) and WhatsApp.
Not just these small resellers, but multinational ticket exchange and ticket resale platform Viagogo, and its parent company StubHub Holdings have also been served legal notices by Zomato Live and BMS.
While Zomato Live has not commented on if the tickets purchased via Viagogo or such scalpers would be canceled or not, it is no secret that hours after the tickets were shown as sold out on these official sites, tickets for both Diljit and Coldplay’s concert were available on Viagogo, albeit at sky-high prices.
The tickets A bought were also originally priced at Rs 6,450. But on Viagogo, the starting range is Rs 31,288, going up to Rs 1,13,207. Talk about earning 5x-6x returns!
In comparison, the ticket prices offered by these Instagram reseller accounts, also termed as scalpers, might look benign, even generous. But at the end of the day, scalpers are also looking to rake in profits, which they earn by selling these tickets in bulk i.e. lots of 5-10 tickets at once. After all, who is attending concerts alone? The slim margins on individual tickets are well cushioned by the extra bucks brought in by the higher quantities of tickets sold at once.
Consider this:
Source: Zomato Live, IG accounts of resellers/scalpers
Then, once this customer pays the remaining amount, the physical tickets will be dispatched to their registered address.
Mind you, these physical tickets are important. Just e-tickets won't make the cut for both Coldplay and Diljit. You would not be able to enter the venue if you don't have this physical ticket or a wearable band. So, if the tickets are not delivered to your place before the concert, you’d be left stranded, even after paying all that money.
Also, dont be surprised with a constant, relentless barrage of messages and calls, if you so much as just inquire about the tickets. Most scalpers, in a bid to quickly close on the opportunity, call incessantly, not giving buyers enough headspace to make rational, or for that matter, rationally priced decisions.
But even after all the hassle, there is no guarantee of timely, or even delivery. While there were multiple screenshots on each of these pages, showing confirmation from various Instagram users saying that tickets had been delivered, but is that convincing proof enough? Or legal enough?
“Ticket resale or scalping, where individuals or entities buy tickets for specific events, and then resell such tickets at a higher price to make a profit, is valid if it meets the essential elements of a contract-offer, acceptance, consideration, and lawful object. Unless there is a clearly established motive of cheating or fraudulent inducement or exorbitant pricing of tickets in the secondary markets, there’s nothing wrong”, continues Pereira.
State governments are also largely reluctant to establish regulations in these waters, since a resale would entail double entertainment tax, which only adds to their coffers.
Says advocate Siddharth Chandrashekhar, Senior Panel Counsel at Bombay High Court, "Although some state police forces, like in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Punjab, have cracked down on illegal sales, arrests are rare, and the absence of cohesive legislation leaves enforcement inconsistent. Black marketing or reselling of live event tickets at escalated prices constitutes an offense under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 for petty crimes, the Consumer Protection Act 2019 for unfair trade practices, and the Competition Act 2002 for abuse of dominant position”, Chandrashekhar highlights.
“While Maharashtra’s Entertainment Duty Act, 1923, attempts to curb resale for some events, most states lack clear laws addressing scalping. Concert ticket scalping in India operates in a regulatory vacuum. With no specific national laws, opportunistic sellers can legally resell tickets for exorbitant sums, with no recourse for buyer”, he signs off.
Advertisement
At 12 noon on September 22, when bookings for Coldplay’s 2025 India leg of “Music of the Sphere” world tour had commenced, A was also in line, having logged in since 11:30 am, from 4 different screens and through 6 cousins.
But God, and BMS were in no mood to reward her efforts and patience. The ticket sale lasted for a mere few seconds, before the site crashed and all tickets were sold out. Turns out, even the second time wasn’t the charm for them.
The first time, too, A had not been able to get tickets for Diljit’s Dil-luminati India tour, which had gone live earlier last month. They had applied for an HDFC Pixel credit card to access the early-bird offer, but it was as if luck was taunting them “vibe teri meri na mildi aa”. could not get tickets for Diljit’s concert as well, which had also vanished within minutes of going live, much like Coldplay's.
That’s why, when they saw that tickets for both Diljit and Coldplay were being sold by various Instagram accounts, despite showing as sold out on Zomato Live and BookMyShow, it seemed magical to A. And per Coldplay, “If you were to ask me, after all that we've been through. Still believe in magic?”, the only acceptable response is “Yes I do, of course I do!”
Advertisement
BookMyShow to “fix” scalpers?
But this morning, BMS startled many people like A by stating that unethically sourced tickets (read: tickets not directly booked via BMS) could be canceled. The platform had already filed an FIR to this effect with the Mumbai police on October 2, 2024, against the rampant “ticket scalping and black marketing of tickets for Coldplay's Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025 in India”.The ticketing platform added that they had provided details of all resellers that had caught their sight, including independent individuals reselling tickets for Coldplay’s tour across social media platforms such as Instagram (where A had purchased their tickets from) and WhatsApp.
Not just these small resellers, but multinational ticket exchange and ticket resale platform Viagogo, and its parent company StubHub Holdings have also been served legal notices by Zomato Live and BMS.
While Zomato Live has not commented on if the tickets purchased via Viagogo or such scalpers would be canceled or not, it is no secret that hours after the tickets were shown as sold out on these official sites, tickets for both Diljit and Coldplay’s concert were available on Viagogo, albeit at sky-high prices.
Advertisement
Even as of today, you can buy tickets for Coldplay’s concert in Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium on January 19th, 2025 on Viagogo. The catch? You should be willing to empty your pockets. Consider this. Tickets for level 2 stand E were priced at Rs 9,000 on BMS. On Viagogo, the tickets for this specific category start at Rs 54,431, and go as high as Rs 1,89,512.The tickets A bought were also originally priced at Rs 6,450. But on Viagogo, the starting range is Rs 31,288, going up to Rs 1,13,207. Talk about earning 5x-6x returns!
In comparison, the ticket prices offered by these Instagram reseller accounts, also termed as scalpers, might look benign, even generous. But at the end of the day, scalpers are also looking to rake in profits, which they earn by selling these tickets in bulk i.e. lots of 5-10 tickets at once. After all, who is attending concerts alone? The slim margins on individual tickets are well cushioned by the extra bucks brought in by the higher quantities of tickets sold at once.
Consider this:
| Phase/Level (For Diljit’s Concert) | Original Price (As shown on Zomato Live) (In Rs) | Prices offered by an IG account reselling tickets for Delhi (26th October, 2024) (In Rs) |
| Silver | 1,499 | 2,399-3,999 |
| Gold Standing (Phase 1,2,3) | 4,999-8,999 | 7,999- 10,000 |
| Fan Pit (Standing) Phase 1 | 12,999 | 20,000 |
| Fan Pit (Standing) Phase 2 | 19,999 | 25,000 |
Modus Operandi
Most scalpers don't demand the entire money upfront. In A’s case, the scalper demanded a 20% advance for booking confirmation. Others ask for as much as 50% of the booking amount. Once that’s done, the customer would get an e-ticket on their registered email ID, which will mention their seat number and booking ID.Advertisement
Then, once this customer pays the remaining amount, the physical tickets will be dispatched to their registered address.
Mind you, these physical tickets are important. Just e-tickets won't make the cut for both Coldplay and Diljit. You would not be able to enter the venue if you don't have this physical ticket or a wearable band. So, if the tickets are not delivered to your place before the concert, you’d be left stranded, even after paying all that money.
Also, dont be surprised with a constant, relentless barrage of messages and calls, if you so much as just inquire about the tickets. Most scalpers, in a bid to quickly close on the opportunity, call incessantly, not giving buyers enough headspace to make rational, or for that matter, rationally priced decisions.
But even after all the hassle, there is no guarantee of timely, or even delivery. While there were multiple screenshots on each of these pages, showing confirmation from various Instagram users saying that tickets had been delivered, but is that convincing proof enough? Or legal enough?
Its legit, its not legit-No one knows!
Well, it's a gray area, truth be told. But Germaine Pereira, Partner, Solomon & Co. underlines that if the buyer is willing to pay a premium or higher price than the ticket’s original face value, it is valid, and perfectly legal under the Indian Contract Act, 1872Advertisement
“Ticket resale or scalping, where individuals or entities buy tickets for specific events, and then resell such tickets at a higher price to make a profit, is valid if it meets the essential elements of a contract-offer, acceptance, consideration, and lawful object. Unless there is a clearly established motive of cheating or fraudulent inducement or exorbitant pricing of tickets in the secondary markets, there’s nothing wrong”, continues Pereira.
State governments are also largely reluctant to establish regulations in these waters, since a resale would entail double entertainment tax, which only adds to their coffers.
Says advocate Siddharth Chandrashekhar, Senior Panel Counsel at Bombay High Court, "Although some state police forces, like in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Punjab, have cracked down on illegal sales, arrests are rare, and the absence of cohesive legislation leaves enforcement inconsistent. Black marketing or reselling of live event tickets at escalated prices constitutes an offense under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 for petty crimes, the Consumer Protection Act 2019 for unfair trade practices, and the Competition Act 2002 for abuse of dominant position”, Chandrashekhar highlights.
“While Maharashtra’s Entertainment Duty Act, 1923, attempts to curb resale for some events, most states lack clear laws addressing scalping. Concert ticket scalping in India operates in a regulatory vacuum. With no specific national laws, opportunistic sellers can legally resell tickets for exorbitant sums, with no recourse for buyer”, he signs off.