Maroon 5: New Ticket Buying Scandal Emerges

There can be little doubt that tickets for Maroon 5 shows on their current world tour are amongst this summer’s hottest tickets. Earlier this year, tickets for Maroon 5 shows across the U.S. were in high demand, with over 30 shows sold out within minutes of going on sale. Shows in the UK and Europe were in high demand too. Sadly many genuine Maroon 5 fans have been unable to score tickets for the bands shows because tickets seem to find their way to those who are willing to pay a high premium on the resale market.

Maroon 5 fans are far from the only ones to fall afoul of scalpers and those who acquire tickets by dubious means. It was recently reported in Inquisitr that many fans of Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran in the UK lost £100’s after buying tickets from a fake ticket agency that disappeared with their money and did not supply any tickets for their sold out shows.

Earlier this week Maroon 5 fans in Thailand were outraged when Coconuts Bangkok revealed that an actor, Siwat “Cee” Chottichaicharin, posted photographs of tickets online. It emerged that the tickets for a Maroon 5 show had been “bought them for a special price,” and by “dubious means.” The official ticket agency limited sales of Maroon 5 tickets to just six per customer, yet the actor was able to secure 25 top tier tickets, all in a block for the show in Bangkok. Maroon 5 fans had stood in line for five hours to buy tickets only to find that most had already been sold before the ticket office even opened.

Maroon 5 later announced that they would play a second show in Bangkok and that tickets would be held in reserve for those who stood in line to buy them in person.

Today the New York Times reveals that Maroon 5 have inadvertently been embroiled in another ticket scandal. It appears that tickets for a Maroon 5 concert were amongst items bought on expenses by Thomas Galante, the former president of Queens Borough Public Library’s. Gallant is alleged to have spent almost $2,000 of taxpayers money on four tickets for a Maroon 5 show.

It is alleged that an audit revealed that Galante and other public officials had spent over $310,000 of taxpayers money in prohibited expenses. As well as tickets for Maroon 5 shows unauthorized flight upgrades, a smoking gallery, admission to Disneyland and extravagant meals were amongst prohibited expenses claims, all whilst the Borough was running a deficit.

Maroon 5 fans are not unique in struggling to find tickets to see their favorite band. Ticket scalping is big business and one that bands like Maroon 5 would like to see stopped. How do Inquisitr readers think the problem could be addressed?

[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]