Though the Rugby World Cup (RWC) ended late last month, ticket resale issues are lingering in host country New Zealand.
Police arrested three individuals for alleged credit card fraud and ticket scalping during the RWC. Under New Zealand law, reselling tickets to international events held in the country is prohibited.
The first two arrests were linked to fraudulent purchases of tickets with illegally obtained credit card information. The third arrest stemmed from the attempted resale of World Cup tickets.
According to published reports, an unnamed London-based man was arrested on the eve of the October 23 RWC final in possession of eight tickets to the final match. He was attempting to resell the tickets, worth about $1,275 apiece.
New Zealand officials said that the suspect was convicted of possessing stolen goods and released. Police alledged that the man illegally obtained the tickets by posing as an event sponsor and picking up the tickets from a hotel desk.
Prior to the start of the tournament, officials warned fans that individuals who resold tickets for higher than face value within the country would be subject to arrest and a potential fine of up to $5,000.
A glut of international resale Web sites reportedly stymied officials’ attempts to thwart ticket resale prior to the tournament. While officials did ask New Zealand-based sites to remove tickets listed for resale, they were unable to reach out to foreign sites outside of New Zealand’s jurisdiction.
