Personal gain through charity!

[TDTH1975]

I refer to the impending LIVE 8 concerts where genuine supporters of such a valuable cause are wishing their phone number to be chosen for one of the 150,000 tickets. At the same time we see individuals with very little or no interest in attending any of the concerts also applying for tickets – and why ? Because they will put them on auction sites such as eBay in order to make hundreds of pounds for themselves, none of which will go to the charity in question. Why don't auction sites such as eBay put a restriction on preventing this from happening, or at the very least, should stipulate that a percentage of the purchase price should automatically go to the charity?

[chilli]

A very good point. However, it comes down to money, as usual. Everyone in the auction process has something to gain, and from E-bay's point of view, if they have a thousand people selling tickets, it just increases profit.
I agree, sad, but true.

[B17NNS]

good idea.

programing the work phone redial as we speak.

what do you think they might fetch?

[JagLover]

EBAY is not a charity-why should they do this?-it is a free market.

[cliffe_mafia]

You could always make some false logins and hijack the auctions if you feel so strongly about it

[TDTH1975]

Naturally everyone has an opinion for which I respect as it is their own - I am not as charitable as I probably should be, but at the same time, i think it is a shame that when a coutry/countries/person/persons go to such a length to raise money for a cause, it seems a serious shame that people try to take such advantage of it. I appreciate it is a free market but maybe there is a bit of a moral obligation here. (maybe not - each to their own)

[shirepro]

If folks didn't bid, they would be left with the tickets.

Same happended to the Livestrong braclets. Bought for $1 and being sold at £7 on eEbay and £5 in our local town centre. If nobody bought the illegitimate ones they would be left with them.

Perhaps the organisers should sell a % of the tickets at auction themselves and then put names on the other tickets they issue (like airline tickets). Might reduce the value to those intent on making money from it?

[southpaw]

They put names on big concert tickets, like Leeds festival and to stop them being sold this year you must present ID at the gate to prove it is you. Dont see why live8 should be any different!