Attorney General's News Release

October 1, 2004

Broker who scalped Cards playoff tickets to give 94 tickets for charity, pay $3,000, and offer refunds upon request

St. Louis, Mo. — A Missouri business that violated the state's ticket-scalping law by re-selling tickets for St. Louis Cardinals playoff games at several times their face value will make amends under an agreement reached with Attorney General Jay Nixon. Nixon sued Show-Me Tickets Inc. on Thursday (Sept. 30) after an undercover investigator from his office purchased two bleacher seats for Game 1 with a face value of $19 each for $70 each.

"Major League Baseball policy is that a sizable portion of playoff tickets should be widely available and affordable to the fans," Nixon said. "Online ticket brokers have hijacked that system. Today's resolution serves notice that we'll step up to the plate to enforce Missouri law in this area."

Under the assurance of voluntary compliance approved today by St. Louis City Circuit Judge David Dowd, the Columbia-based Show-Me Tickets will:

• Stop re-selling tickets to Missouri sporting events in excess of the printed price on the ticket, and post that information on its Web site, www.showmetickets.com.
• Provide a refund to any Missouri consumer who previously purchased 2004 Cardinals post-season tickets for a price above face value. The refunds will be provided to those consumers who request the refunds from Show-Me Tickets by Oct. 8 and return the tickets to the business.
• Deliver 94 playoff tickets presently possessed by Show-Me Tickets to the Attorney General's Office, for distribution to a Missouri charitable organization. That charitable organization has not yet been determined, Nixon said.
• Pay $3,000 to the state to compensate the Attorney General's Office for the costs of investigation and bringing the lawsuit.

A state statute (Section 578.395, RSMo 2004) prohibits the sale or resale of tickets to Missouri public sporting events at more than the face value of the ticket. Major League Baseball sets the prices for tickets for post-season play. Nixon's lawsuit alleged that Show-Me Tickets violated consumer protection laws by misrepresenting to consumers that it was legal to sell these Cardinal tickets for more than their face value, and by reselling the tickets for more than their face value, in violation of Missouri law.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818