Politics & Government
President Obama's Farewell Speech: How Much It Costs For A 'Free' Ticket'
Sites such as eBay and Craigslist have listings for tickets to Tuesday's event, but customers should watch out for scams.
CHICAGO, IL — Free tickets to President Barack Obama's farewell address Tuesday in Chicago are being sold and auctioned online for as much as $5,000 on sites such as eBay and Craigslist.
The tickets were handed out Saturday morning at McCormick Place on a first-come, first-serve basis, beginning at 8 a.m. But by 7 a.m., organizers had begun turning away some of the the thousands of tickets-seekers who battled the frigid temperatures for a chance to see the outgoing president's speech in person.
That's created a pricey after-market for the tickets, which have reached the level of other popular Chicago events, such as the musical "Hamilton" and the Cubs' World Series games last year.
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Obama's farewell speech is at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, at McCormick Place, and doors open at 5 p.m. The event can be seen live on the White House website.
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As of Monday morning, Craigslist had listings for individual tickets going for as high as $5,000, with many offers falling in the $1,500 to $1,000 price range. One sparse listing that didn't feature a photo of the tickets was even advertising a $1 million price tag (or best offer).
On eBay, four tickets were being sold for $4,000 and a single ticket was being offered for $1,500. Those prices were only for the buy-it-now option, and ticket-seekers could places bids to try to win them at a lower auction price.
With prices this high, people should be cautious if they're trying to buy tickets to Obama's farewell address online. Steve Bernas, of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois, warns against the possibility of counterfeiters and scammers taking advantage of the event for a big, illegal payday.
"Stay away from anyone selling these tickets," Bernas told the Chicago Tribune."You don't know who these people are. … Someone is always looking to make a profit on a situation, disaster or calamity. I guarantee someone [who bought fake tickets online] will be turned away on Tuesday."
In fact, a Craigslist user — and scam victim — has already posted a warning to others about a possible ticket swindle.
"I got scammed out of some major money by a woman claiming that her mother died and therefore she would not being able to use her tickets," the user wrote.
"I was naïve and hopeful that the tickets were legit, but please don't let this happen to you! She is also copying and pasting pics from some other ads that are likely legit...PLEASE BE CAREFUL," the user added.
But not everyone is using Obama's farewell address to score an easy payout. One Craigslist user is using his extra ticket to find companionship. At least for the event.
"My name is Rob and I'm a 24 year old young professional," he wrote in the listing. "I have an extra ticket to tomorrow's event and would love to take a date. Let me know a bit about yourself and why you'd be the best person to take."
Photo via Patch archive
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