Among those was a listing posted by a man who identified himself only as Peetey, 29, of Venice Beach, California. He was asking $8,000 for a single ticket; the winning bidder would accompany his girlfriend to the service, he said.Would anyone, as big an MJ fan as one could be, actually pay $10,000??
The ad was removed within 15 minutes, he said, but that was enough time for five people to call with interest.
When contacted by CNN, Peetey said he sees nothing wrong with selling a free ticket to a memorial service.
"We live in a capitalist society where money is what really speaks," he said. "I'm not trying to make a huge profit. I'm not trying to take advantage of anybody."
Peetey, who did not want his last name used for fear of backlash from Jackson fans, said he would go to the memorial service if he can't get at least $5,000 for the ticket. His girlfriend won the lottery-issued tickets, he said, and will attend the event.
"I want to go, and I have a large desire to go, but if I can get a lot of money, especially in this economic climate, it doesn't seem wise for me to sit there for two hours if I can get $10,000 for the ticket," he said.
Daniel Moreno, 33, of Murrieta, California, said people trying to sell the tickets are disgracing Jackson by trying to capitalizing on his death.
"That kind of sucks, you know. The guy's dead," said Moreno, who posted a statement on Craigslist vowing to flag any listings selling Jackson memorial tickets.
In the risk of appearing more eloquent than Daniel Moreno, it is a tad disappointing to see. The man's memorial is a tribute to a pop star who contributed a great deal to music over the course of many years. It should not be an opportunity to "make a buck," and blame the economy.
I'm sure enough fans have already paid their dues for concert tickets in decades past.
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