City officials in Taichung yesterday said they are investigating suspected ticket scalping for an upcoming Formula One street racing event, in which ticket prices were inflated by up to 14 times.
The Taichung Sports Bureau said it was maintaining close contact with organizers of the Sept. 28 Red Bull Showrun Taichung and is encouraging members of the public to report scalpers for a reward.
“Only through the public’s voluntary refusal to engage in scalping or buy scalped tickets can we effectively eliminate scalpers and create a truly pro-ticket buyer environment,” the bureau said.
Photo courtesy of Taichung City Councilor Lin Chi-feng
The Sports Industry Development Act (運動產業發展條例) stipulates that informants are eligible for a reward of 20 percent of the imposed fine issued to scalpers, with a maximum limit of NT$100,000.
The case emerged after Taichung City Councilor Lin Chi-feng (林祈烽) flagged suspected scalping after 30,000 tickets were snapped up in just three minutes when full sales opened on Thursday.
The original price for the tickets is NT$500, but they have been sold online for up to NT$7,000, Lin said.
The law stipulates that people caught reselling tickets above their predefined resale price would incur a fine ranging from 10 to 50 times the original ticket price.
To report scalping, go to https://report.500.gov.tw/report500index.html.
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