NY1.com

  73º

You are not signed in  |  Sign in here  |  Help

You're viewing a lite version of NY1.com

Time Warner Cable customers: Sign in with your TWC ID for video access.

Get my TWC ID. | Get TWC service. | Read the FAQ.

12/07/2012 08:03 PM

Scalpers Taking Slice Of '12-12-12' Concert Profits Meant For Sandy Victims

  To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

Many of the biggest names in show business have signed up for the 12-12-12 relief concert at Madison Square Garden, but ticket scalpers want to put money in their own pockets. NY1's Elizabeth Kaledin reports.

Producers have called it the biggest concert ever. Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones are just some of the stars who will join the stage.

But scalpers are taking tickets meant to benefit victims of Sandy and are reselling them online for a huge profit.

"It's despicable," said Executive Director of the Robin Hood Foundation David Saltzman. "Every single penny of ticket sales should go to help the victims of Sandy."

On the ticket-reselling website StubHub, there were tickets valued between $150 and $50,000 -- money organizers said is desperately needed in communities devastated by the storm.

"Our neighbors are cold, our neighbors are hungry and our neighbors are lost," Saltzman said. "They need all of us to come together as one giant caring community to help.”

Sen. Charles Schumer asked StubHub to ban the sale of concert tickets for more than face value, unless the seller agrees to donate all the profits.

But the website said it does not operate with price controls.

"We intend to continue to allow resale for this event and encourage all ticket sellers to donate a share of proceeds to the charity as well," StubHub said in a statement.

StubHub said it will donate 100 percent of its service fees and commissions to the Robin Hood Relief fund, but Hurricane Sandy victims said they are outraged by the scalpers.

"They're having a come-up from us," said New Yorker Tina Corchado. "This is a really horrible thing that happened.

"They should be giving that profit back to the community, to where it's needed," resident Tina Reyes said.

Producers of the benefit suggested people thinking of buying tickets stay at home and watch it on TV.

Organizers said they expect a billion people worldwide to tune in and hope the scalping controversy won't steal the show.