High-Tech Padres Tickets Could Eliminate Scalpers
Tickets Are Scanned, Not Ripped

June 22, 2004

SAN DIEGO -- A new ticket that is making it easier for the Padres to get personal financial information on you is making it difficult for fans to buy tickets from scalpers.

The new tickets are scanned, not ripped. Once a ticket is scanned, it becomes ineligible for further use. The problem with buying the tickets from scalpers is that there is no way to tell if they are used or not, NBC 7/39 reported. "You'll have no idea if a ticket is good until you actually go through the turnstile," said Steve Violetta, a representative for the San Diego Padres.

Despite the inconvenience of not being able to buy from scalpers, Padres officials say the new tickets make people's lives easier because they can now buy tickets directly through the Padres Web site and print them out at home.

"First of all, they are the best seats in Petco Park because they're all season tickets seats," Violetta said. "Secondly, you know if you buy them from Padres.com there's no chance those tickets are duplicated and that you're going to get ripped off."

The new tickets also makes it easier for the Padres to get personal information on fans, such as which credit card they used to make the purchase, NBC 7/39 reported.

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