Ticket scalping in Costa Rica is one of those grey areas of while not illegal, it is not tolerated, yet accepted. Case in point is the confiscation by the San José Municipal Police of tickets for the United States – Costa Rica game in September.
On Tuesday, authorities descended on the area in front of the National Stadium and confiscated 45 tickets from several resellers. Police say the confiscation was because the resellers were offering the tickets in public areas and wanted to confirm that the tickets being scalped had been bought and paid for and were not fakes.
On Wednesday, Marcelo Solano, director of the Municipal police force, said in a radio interview that the tickets would be returned to resellers if they can prove they purchased them.
There is little that we can do about tickets sold on Facebook, Twitter or Mercado Libre unless false
Talking on the Nuesta Voz radio program, Solano explained that the confiscated tickets were now in the hands of the Juzgado Contravencional de Pavas (Misdemeanor Court) and the legitimate owners could claim them.
Reselling of tickets to concerts, soccer games and other events is not illegal in Costa Rica. Solano explained that the confiscation was because it was done in a public place. The police director sad that the cops can’t do anything if the transaction is “in private”.
The police action on Tuesday followed the outcry by many who could not buy tickets at face value on Monday, forced to buy at inflated prices on the street. The sale of the tickets began at 10am Monday and by 2:30pm the say day all 28.000 tickets had been sold out.
