State sues tix brokers over price you pay for Springsteen seats

Today, state Attorney General Anne Milgram announced that her office has sued three outfits that have already sold what amount to promises for the tickets — which haven’t even been put on sale yet.

“It is fraud to offer to sell a product that one does not possess, and may never possess,” Milgram said.

Springsteen’s three Giants Stadium shows — the last to be held there before the venue is torn down following the pro football season — go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday.

By promising customers tickets they didn’t even have yet, North Jersey-based Select-A-Ticket.com, along with Chicago-based Orbitz Worldwide and Connecticut-based Ticket Network Inc., violated the state’s Consumer Fraud Act, Milgram said.

The three companies offered more than 1,000 tickets — with a face value of $33 to $98 — for as much as $1,300.

Some of the seats promised don’t even exist, she added.

The cynic could accuse Milgram of showing up more than halfway through a Springsteen set.

Then again, it’s about time someone took notice of the price you pay. The people who most need Springsteen’s redemptive inspiration and comfort in the face of hard times can’t afford it.

Argue if you will, but the workmanlike Boss and his band may be the greatest set of live performers in rock-and-roll history. And even though he does his part — holding back face-value tickets until the last minute so scalpers can’t get them — there are way too many people making obscene amounts of money off his sweat.

Thankfully, Milgram isn’t playing air guitar — she’s taking it to the bridge. Her suit not only aims to stop the practice; it also seeks restitution for ticket buyers who’ve already ponied up, along with fines.

Once that’s done, Milgram wants Select-A-Tickets’ license suspended or revoked.

Brokers say they frequently offer “category” or “zone” seating for the Super Bowl and other events. Customers then pay early for seats in general locations. Once the tickets are available, the broker gets them.

No tickets for the Springsteen shows have been made available early as part of any promotion, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which operates the stadium, said in a statement.

“There are no legitimate tickets on sale. There is no pre-sale or fan club sale for these concerts. Concert fans need to be especially wary before tickets officially go on sale,” the statement says.

The handling of Springsteen tickets continues to draw attention. Earlier this year, fans seeking tickets online to shows at the Izod Center were redirected to a Ticketmaster subsidiary that charged up to 50 times the face value. Even shows for other artists were guilty of similar conduct, authorities said.

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