Scalpers are always an infuriating part of concerts, with many fans calling for companies and authorities to take action. Recently, fans caught an alleged group of scalpers bulk-buying BTS (방탄소년단) concert merchandise, sparking outrage.
In case you haven’t heard, BTS is currently embarking on their “ARIRANG” world tour and is currently in Mexico City for a three-day concert. As with the rest of the tour, the Mexico City stop features merchandise sales where ARMYs can purchase official merchandise in person. Unfortunately, the buying experience has caused frustration for many because of apparent scalpers.
Fans at the location have been sharing videos of individuals whom they believe are scalpers, buying official merchandise in bulk to resell at a higher price. As shown in these now-viral videos, the alleged scalpers were giving priority to skip the long lines and load plastic sacks with large quantities of merchandise, despite there being a purchase limit of one of each item per person.
Some posts even claim that the individuals threatened the fans when they called out their questionable actions. Understandably, the situation sparked anger among ARMYs, especially those who have waited hours to purchase merchandise. Some speculated that the alleged scalpers were able to bypass the line due to “inside help”, prompting claims of corruption towards the concert’s organiser.
@janethlancaster En estos momentos en la venta oficial de merch de BTS se hacen presentes videos en los que se ve a personas metiendo toda la mercancía en bolsas y llevándose en camionetas circula el rumor de que son revendedores y a las demás personas que están en la fila les dejarán comprar únicamente una pieza por persona (créditos a la persona que grabó el video) #fyp #parati #bts #merchbts #mexico
Fans and netizens have called for HYBE to take action, lamenting that the situation could negatively affect the concert experience. However, many argued that the K-Pop agency likely has no jurisdiction over the matter. Instead, they’re reaching out to the local government, particularly Mexico’s Office of the Federal Prosecutor for the Consumer (Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor), for a response.
Fans are also urging each other not to purchase resale merchandise online, likely to prevent scalpers from profiting. For now, HYBE hasn’t commented on the situation. However, we hope they can handle the scalper issue before it escalates in Mexico or other countries.
Sources: Twitter (1)(2)(3), PopRant
