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Michael Jackson memorial sold to highest bidders by scalpers
Jul 6, 2009, 12:00 GMT
An over view of the Staples Center (Background) in Los Angeles, California, USA, 05 July 2009. A public memorial for US pop star Michael Jackson will be held on 07 July 2009 at the Staples Center. Jackson died of a heart attack at age 50. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO
Scalpers selling tickets to Michael Jackson's memorial have sparked an internet "war".
Passes to the star-studded tribute at Los Angeles' Staples Center tomorrow morning (07.07.09) were offered for sale on auction websites minutes after the lottery for free tickets was drawn last night (05.07.09).
Some people were selling as many as five tickets and boasting about the money they would make from them, prompting fans who missed out to "declare war" on scalpers.
One fan - who was among the two million people who failed to secure one of the 17,500 free tickets offered to the general public - said: "It's totally out of order and against the spirit of the whole event. I was gutted not to get a ticket.
"But it's worse knowing others did and all they care about is making a quick buck. The scalpers should be ashamed. You just don't get lower than trying to make money off a person's death."
Some tickets to the memorial event - which starts at 10am, two hours after the Jackson family's private funeral at Hollywood's Forest Lawn ceremony - were being sold for £5,000.
Auction site eBay has vowed to stop the sale of tickets to the event.
A spokesman said: "Any tickets for the memorial service will be taken down".
In a bid to prevent scalpers selling tickets outside the event, promoter AEG Live have announced plans to fit fans with special wristbands when they pick up their tickets.
Anyone with ripped or broken wristbands will not be allowed to enter the stadium.
Los Angeles police are bracing for an influx of up to one million fans from around the world and have warned anyone without a ticket to stay away from the Staples Center and watch the memorial on TV instead.
But fans seem unlikely to obey the police, with American Airlines announcing flights to Los Angeles have already sold out.
A spokesman added: "We're fully booked. You can't get a ticket on that route now for love nor money. People are flying to neighboring cities and driving or taking connecting flights."
Justin Timberlake, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson and Usher are among stars expected to perform at the tribute.
The ceremony will reportedly end with the Jackson family and their celebrity friends inviting the audience to hold hands and sing Michael's 1992 hit 'Heal The World'.
An insider said: "We want to celebrate Michael's life and make him proud and the best way to do that is to get artists who he loved and respected to perform his songs. The artists will cover all generations and will all be performers Michael loved.
"There will be one or two surprises. As Michael himself said before, it will be the greatest show on Earth."
COMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Some people are not just 'trying to make a buck' off of this Great Kind Wonderful and Generous Person's Memorial! Maybe some people had emergancys come up in the family, say such as a husbands wife having a brain anuerism, therefore, she couldn't attend. Being broke, he goes on a limb to give someone the opportunity to attend that can afford to cover the expenses?? I wouldn't call that scalping..
If someone was dumb enough to actually pay some random stranger for a voucher they may not even have for those MJ memorial tickets than they deserve to be screwed out of all that money.
The person who registered for the winning voucher must bring the printed voucher to LA's Dodger Stadium in person, with a valid ID, to get the ticket. The name used to register for the lottery to begin with must match the valid ID. I understand the preferred ID is a state drivers license.
Upon showing the ID and the voucher with all matching registration information (which must be done by 6pm PDT), a locking bracelet will be applied to the winning ticket holder's wrist. That bracket is not to be removed or altered in any way or the winner will be denied access to the event on Tuesday. Also at that time, the winner will be handed a guest ticket and bracelet. Technically the spare items may be sold off, but if you put it on ebay, it is a violation.
The scalpers I read about were hawking tickets for BIG bucks, and if people are stupid to pay $1000's for them, they are certainly stupid.
page: 1
To potential scalpeesJul 6th, 2009 - 14:18:14
Don't be stupid....just don't buy those over-inflated tickets. If you do, don't blame anyone else for your gross stupidity.
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