Tickets

Next Plans to Void Scalped Tickets

Next is now actively looking for scalpers.
Next is now actively looking for scalpers. Photo: courtesy of Facebook

Scalpers beware: Next is now looking for you. After the restaurant sold 2,000 tables for the Tour of Thailand yesterday, a post on Facebook related that “we hope that diners (not scalpers) got the vast majority of tickets.” That message was quickly followed up by this surprising announcement: “If you advertise or sell tickets for more than face value they will be voided…. and yes that means if you buy from a scalper for more than face value they will still be voided.”

We always thought that scalping was just part of the game of trying to get into Next. In an interview with the New York Times back in February, co-owner Nick Kokonas said that he was “very interested to see what that secondary market might bring.” Though the claims of the infamous $3,000 tickets turned out to be false, seats have regularly been sold on Craigslist for more than face value.

That’s apparently all over now, as Next plans to void “anything beyond that is against [Terms of Service] and we are keeping track closely this time.” In fact, they have already contacted people on Craigslist about inflated prices.

We quickly checked the message board, and found the prices are dramatically down from when we last looked. Most people are selling the tickets for near face value. In fact, we only found one defiant poster who wanted to sell a 8:15 p.m. table for 2 for $750. “I’m not negotiating,” he wrote in the post, “This is the price.” Attention Next! Perhaps he needs a good talking to.

This is an interesting reversal, and we have to believe that this is a positive. The incredible demand for tickets — Next claims that over 16,000 people attempted to purchase 2,000 tickets yesterday — means that it will always be tough to get a seat. But this should stop people from making a killing off of others. But what do you think?

Next Plans to Void Scalped Tickets