RWC scalpers taken off Trademe

Thomas Mengel scored tickets to the final but still has to save $210 to buy them. Photo / Richard Robinson

Trade Me has stepped in to stop people from selling Rugby World Cup tickets online for profit.

The auction website had removed some dubious semifinal ticket listings after results for the ballot of semifinal and final tickets were announced online yesterday, RWC 2011 marketing and communications manager Shane Harmon said.

At least one ticket had already sold on Trade Me yesterday for a profit of about $150 at $1250.

Ticket scalping is illegal under the Major Events Management Act 2007, which imposed a maximum penalty of $5000.

RWC wanted to stop ticket scalping to protect fans, Mr Harmon said.

The organisation wanted to make sure genuine fans could buy tickets at face value through legitimate sources.

Trade Me would continue to monitor its site for ticket scalping, he said.

RWC could work with New Zealand operators to prevent scalping but stopping rogue international websites was far more difficult.

"We cannot control every aspect of scalping that goes on but we do want to educate people and let them know it is very much a case of buyer beware."

He said he did feel empathy for fans who were desperate for tickets and prepared to pay extra.

"We know that demand for the final is going to significantly outweigh supply so we are completely appreciative of that."

Trade Me could not be reached for comment but has previously said it did not want to undermine the event.

Rugby fans finally found out yesterday whether they had secured tickets to the final games of the Cup - but for some, the good news was tempered by the accompanying price tag.

More than 60,000 people applied for the ballots for the 15,000 tickets available for each of the semifinals and the final held at Eden Park.

Tickets ranged in price from $1278 for a category A ticket to the final to $296 for a category D semifinal ticket.

To enter the draw, people had to have purchased tickets to pool games but they were not able to select which price category they wanted to secure.

Brian Gardner, a project manager, was lucky enough to secure two tickets to a semifinal but said because they were category A and cost $1594 he was not sure he would buy them.

"What annoys me is that you don't get a choice [of category] ... if I could get category B, I'd just take them," he said.

"But I'm not sure if category A is worth it. Eden Park is like Westpac Stadium - there's not a bad seat in the place anyway."

Another fan, who asked not to be named, was allocated two category B tickets to a semifinal, but said the $1410 cost was an obstacle.

"I bought the cheapest band of pool games so I kind of thought they might offer people tickets corresponding to the pool games they bought," he said.

"I could afford it, but it's more figuring out whether I want to pay that much. It's $700 - that's, what, about $10 a minute."

Thomas Mengel, the 8-year-old whose efforts to save enough money to buy a ticket to the final were featured in the Herald, also won tickets to the final.

Speaking from his home in St Heliers yesterday, Thomas said he still had to save another $210 but was "really, really happy" to have tickets.

Mr Harmon acknowledged that the price for some categories were beyond the reach of some New Zealanders, but defended the ballot process.

"There's an even number of tickets available in each category and we found that this was the fairest way to do it, was to simply make people an offer," he said.

"All is not lost. Anyone who definitely wants to go to the final can purchase a [hospitality package] ... also in the event that any ballot tickets remain unsold, we'll continue making offers to those who were initially unsuccessful."

Additional reporting by NZPA