Q&A: What’s the Problem with Scalping
What’s the Problem with Scalping
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Do you think there is any moral or halakhic problem with scalping tickets to sports games or cultural events?
Best regards,
Answer
In my opinion, no—neither morally nor halakhically. True, the Sages speak about price gougers as acting improperly, but it seems to me that this applies only to products basic to life. Everything else is commerce and a free market. Of course there are the laws of overcharging, but when there are no tickets available, then the market price is the scalpers’ price. Besides, everyone knows the price is inflated and buys on that basis, so there is no overcharging here.
Discussion on Answer
Maybe it has problematic consequences—for example, that people invest large sums of money when they can’t really afford it, etc. I don’t know.
Does the fact that a seller is not allowed to reserve in the sale the right to sell to a third party mean that such a condition also cannot be stipulated? Because if it can, then it seems clear to me that the seller could impose such a condition, and then scalping would be prohibited.
I didn’t understand. What makes you say it’s prohibited? Halakhically, legally, or morally? I also don’t see why there would be such a condition here.
So why do you think scalping has been made illegal in many countries?