U2 Elevation Tour - Some rock fans pay price but miss show

from Chicago Tribune Fake U2 tickets at United Center By Robert K. Elder and Lola Smallwood / Tribune staff reporters Andy Palmer thought he was getting away with something when he shortchanged a ticket scalper $10 for three U2 tickets outside United Center Sunday night. It wasn't a bad deal, he figured. He and his friends were exchanging two $85 tickets and $60 cash for three tickets on the floor for U2's Sunday night show. But when the deal went down, he gave the scalper $50 and the tickets.

When they got to the gate, however, one glance from a security officer and their tickets were voided. They had been burned by counterfeiters. As hundreds of fake U2 tickets circulated at the United Center over the weekend, officials said it was the most rampant counterfeiting since Michael Jordan played for the Bulls and a testament to the increasing quality of the technology. The bogus tickets were priced from $60 to $180 each for general admission floor seats. A real ticket cost $45. If the trend continues, U2's four concerts -- shows continue on Tuesday and Wednesday -- could see up to 400 fake tickets being sold by counterfeiters and scalpers. By comparison, three years ago, when the Bulls were at their peak, perhaps 150 tickets were confiscated for an entire 41-game season. "I don't remember having as high a volume on any single night as we've had on this event," said Jim Bare, director of ticket operations for the United Center. On Sunday night, security guards checked every general admission ticket, testing suspect tickets by misting them with a spray bottle. If the water disrupted the ink, the ticket was deemed a fake. Authentic tickets also have a "safety layer." A slight tear in the ticket would reveal fine blue threads inside the paper. "Initially we noticed that one of the tickets just felt a little different, one of the ticket-takers noticed it was a little bit thicker," said Bare. "But they are very good quality tickets, they were outstanding in terms of color." In the age of high-resolution color computer printers, the quality and quantity of counterfeit tickets to concerts and sports events have escalated dramatically. Like the U.S. government's stepped-up attempts to make counterfeiting of currency more difficult, ticket vendors and venues are fighting back with technology. This fall the United Center plans to start using bar codes on tickets and equip ticket-takers with scanners. Risky business Meanwhile, officials say potential buyers should think twice. "It's just a very risky situation if you don't go to an authorized ticket seller. But hopefully it's a lesson they learn, never to buy from anybody on the street again," Bare said. Police said Monday they haven't received any complaints about U2 concert tickets. Area detectives, could not recall the last time they were called to investigate fake concert tickets at the United Center. Police Detective Patrick Grande of the Monroe District, which includes the United Center, said the business of fake tickets is fed by the high volume of concerts and sporting events at the center, the variety of ticket designs and the huge demand from the public. "With the computers these days, people can almost replicate anything," said Grande. "It's one of the things that you really can't educate people on because each concert ticket is different from the next one. It's just a matter of being aware of what's going on." Those who bought bad tickets on Sunday, like Palmer and his friends, were asked to wait outside for an announcement by a security officer. After an hour, a United Center official offered the small crowd a chance to buy tickets for U2 shows Tuesday or Wednesday. Palmer wishes the United Center had handled the situation differently. "They could have just told us: 'We're sorry, we're not responsible,' and let us go," Palmer said, disgruntled by the long wait. "At the same time, it was nice of them to sell us tickets. It really wasn't expected." No return engagement Palmer's friend David Heckman was less forgiving. He traveled four hours from Iowa City, and he and his younger brother, John, could not return for a later show. "They were a lot more concerned with punishing us than solving the problem," said Heckman. "It would have been nice if there had been signs up saying there had been problems with scalpers." "Also it was just embarrassing, getting put in one big loser group," added Palmer. Rich Zasiebida, sales manager for Ticket Heaven, a licensed ticket brokerage in Wheaton, said illegal sales cast a shadow over the entire industry. "It's something that ruins the reputation of legal brokers who put a lot of work into finding good tickets for clients," said Zasiebida, who has sold more than 1,000 tickets for the U2 show, ranging in price from $125 to $650. "We make calls, research and find those people who buy tickets but can't make the shows. We do a lot to make sure the tickets are legitimate. And when you have a show as big as U2, with a lot of demand, we know these tickets are out there and it is a problem." A detail of plainclothes traffic officers is assigned to patrol for scalpers during big sporting events or concerts that draw thousands of fans, according to police. But few arrests are made, said Officer Scott Thomas, who has worked several of the details. "We can try to look for (counterfeiters), but it's very difficult to find them because you don't know who's doing what," said Thomas. "We try to prevent it from happening, but if people want these tickets, they are going to find someone and buy them. But we advise people not to buy from people on the street. Buy from brokers who are licensed to sell the tickets. That way, you don't get burned." A few laws govern unauthorized ticket sales. A city ban on the solicitation of tickets makes it illegal to either sell or buy tickets within 2,000 feet of the venue. Violators can be prosecuted and fined up to $200. Under state law, unauthorized vendors selling tickets above face value can be fined up to $5,000 per sale, said Sgt. Robert Cargie, a spokeman for the Chicago Police Department. Also under state law, counterfeiters selling tickets under $300 could face a misdemeanor charge of theft by deception, which carries a maximum sentence of up to one year in prison and a $500 fine. Sellers of fake tickets with a value of more than $300 could face a felony count of theft by deception with a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison, according to the Cook County state's attorney's office. Connie Buscemi, spokeswoman for the Chicago Office of Consumer Services, said those who buy bad tickets can file complaints with the office under the city's consumer fraud ordinance. Under the ordinance, convicted scalpers could face up to $500 in fines per incident. "The last time we heard complaints at the United Center was a few years ago when the Bulls were in the playoffs," said Buscemi. "People had paid top dollar to someone on the street who was actually selling tickets from last year's playoff game."