The ticket market is a scary place. The print-your-own ticket world has opened up a sleazy market for ticket brokers and scalpers who can fake bar codes.
Apparently, this is not only a problem for the common person. Celebrities get swindled, too.
Consequently, Cole Hamels is feeling the hurt. He spent $70,000 on VIP passes to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in NYC last November.
But when he showed up, Hamels and wife Heidi were denied access to the show due to fraudulent tickets. According to the AP, the couple is suing Cornucopia, a London-based concierge service, for $150,000 in damages for fraud and misreprensentation.
Per the AP:
The money was to cover a four-night stay in a luxury hotel, a limousine with champagne, goodie bags and access to the after-party and exclusive restaurants. The suit alleges Hamels and his party got none of the perks and were denied entry to the event.
As Yahoo! Sports points out, there is an AP photo of Hamels on a Victoria's Secret red carpet, suggesting the pitcher reached the red carpet but not the actual show. Further complicating the situation is the AP's reporting that Hamels was told the annual show would be in London (the 2014 location):
The couple was initially told the show would be in London, although the directions later had them arriving in New York for the Nov. 10 show, the lawsuit said. They were told to avoid saying they had bought the tickets, but instead to say they were a gift or that they were attending as guests of the brand, the suit said.
So yeah, it sucks you bought fake $25 NHL tickets on a sketchy ticket broking site. Just be glad you're not Cole Hamels, toiling away at Texas Rangers spring training, hoping you get your $150,000 back.
Cornucopia has not commented on the matter.
