Group Ticket Purchasing System Preventing Scalping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current event billing systems are cumbersome, leading to excessive labor for group ticket purchases, ticket scalping, and restrictive ticketing policies that hinder large groups from attending events together.

Innovation Solution

A computer-based system that allows group members to register for events, tying each member's account to their preferred payment method, enabling bulk ticket purchases while preventing scalping and ensuring tickets are allocated for intended use, with group discounts and resource allocation for proximity seating.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If current ticketing systems restrict the quantity of tickets an individual may purchase, then ticket scalping is prevented, but large groups cannot purchase tickets together and do not receive close proximity seating

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegroup ticket purchasing capabilityVSAvoidticket allocation for close proximity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the ticket purchasing process into individual registrations within a group context. Each group member registers individually with their own payment method, but the system aggregates their selections to allocate seats together in close proximity, resolving the conflict between preventing bulk scalping and enabling group purchases.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The ticketing system acts as an intermediary that coordinates between individual group members and the event organizer. It manages individual registrations and payment methods while collectively securing group seating, enabling close proximity allocation without requiring a single bulk purchase that could be used for scalping.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If ticketing systems allow bulk purchases by single users, then large groups can attend events together, but ticket scalping and third-party profiteering increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebulk ticket purchasingVSAvoidticket scalping
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the bulk purchase into individual registrations, where each group member registers separately with their own payment method. This segmentation prevents scalping while still enabling bulk allocation for legitimate groups, as the system tracks and coordinates individual selections collectively.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each group member independently completes their own registration and payment process, eliminating the need for a single bulk purchaser. This self-service approach ensures that tickets are allocated to actual end-users rather than intermediaries, preventing scalping while maintaining group seating capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If group members register individually with separate payment methods, then ticket scalping is prevented, but the billing process becomes cumbersome and requires coordination among all members

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of ticket scalpingVSAvoidbilling coordination
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The ticketing system serves as an intermediary that automates the coordination of individual registrations and payments. It aggregates seat selections from all group members and processes payments individually, eliminating the need for manual billing coordination while maintaining the integrity of individual payment methods to prevent scalping.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides real-time feedback to group members about seat availability and pricing as they register. This feedback mechanism allows members to make informed decisions about their seat preferences while the system automatically coordinates the collective selection, reducing the coordination burden on group members.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

4Object-affected harmful factors

If promoters restrict individual ticket purchases to prevent scalping, then fair pricing is maintained, but excessive labor is required from purchasers to secure tickets through repeated calls or queuing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethird-party profiteeringVSAvoidpurchaser labor time
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables purchasers to complete the entire ticket acquisition process independently through automated online registration and payment. This self-service approach eliminates the need for repeated telephone calls or physical queuing, reducing purchaser labor time while maintaining restrictions that prevent scalping and third-party profiteering.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-allocating ticket blocks to verified groups based on their individual registrations. This preliminary allocation occurs automatically before the purchasing event, eliminating the need for purchasers to spend time queuing or making repeated calls to secure tickets, while maintaining anti-scalping measures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8464934B2Method and system for purchasing goods and services for a group of individuals through a communication network
Publication Date: 2013.06.18 WATKINS MARK PHILLIP

AI summary

Allowing users to organize financial resources, it is one object of the present invention to provide a ticket vending and purchasing system for preventing illegal activities, such as ticket scalping, and for ensuring the price determiner is able to exercise their right to setting the price for events. A group purchasing method and system using the Internet is provided. Members of a group register for an event and provide a method of individual payment. A following permission to allow purchase by a system defined agent allows a single agent to purchase the group package for all registered members. The system uses each person's payment information and not only a single user's.