A Controversial Way to Score Concert Tickets

A Controversial Way to Score Concert Tickets
Emerging Secondary Market In ‘Presale’ Passwords Irks
Dues-Supported Fan Clubs

Stephanie Kendrid, a 31-year-old accountant in Los Angeles, could have paid $29.99 to join Kelly Clarkson’s fan club and gain special access to concert tickets. Instead, she placed an ad on Craigslist and paid $4 for the “presale” password she needed, nabbing a pair of standing-room seats.

For the past few years, many musicians have been rewarding dues-paying fan-club members with access to presale passwords to purchase tickets before they are released to the general public. Now these codes, which can increase your chances of landing prime seats, are being sold on specialized Web sites and even eBay and Craigslist.

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