With reports surfacing of thousand-dollar presidential inauguration tickets, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has vowed to try and stop scalpers from hawking the tickets that are clearly stamped "not for sale," his office announced Thursday.
Schumer, co-chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, said eBay and Craigslist have agreed not to allow the sale of the tickets on their sites. Stubhub has also refused to list inauguration tickets.
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Still, in the days leading up to Monday's festivities, there have been reports of the tickets being sold via online retailers.
“This year’s presidential inaugural ceremonies are not for sale,” Schumer said in a statement. “This is a chance for people from all 50 states to celebrate our democracy, not for ticket scalpers to make a quick buck.”
Tickets that allow holders to view the ceremonies from the grounds of the Capitol were free to the offices of members of Congress but high demand has led to some ticketholders trying to profit.
“eBay will enforce a policy not to allow these listings on their site, while Craigslist employees will monitor their site and remove these listings,” Schumer's statement said.
But some listings still remain online. One Craigslist ad read, “We will accept no less than $600 per ticket...period. You can meet us at the Capitol building when we pick up tickets on Fri 1/14/2013 to verify authenticity.” One listing is asking for $2,000 per ticket, The Associated Press said.
Congressional offices and the Presidential Inaugural Committee do charge admission to other inaugural events, according to AP. The presidential committee sold out of $25 tickets to the inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue and $60 tickets to one of its two inaugural balls. Tickets to a second ball, for members of the armed services, were distributed for free.
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