Restaurant reservations are now being scalped in NJ

I had no idea this was happening in the dining world. Then again, I don’t get out much.

The nicer the restaurant, the harder it is to get a reservation. That much we all knew.

But did you know that now fake reservations are being made at desirable restaurants so they can be placed for sale on scalping platforms such as Appointment Trader? Few use the app as intended, to let go of a restaurant reservation at the last minute when something comes up and make a couple bucks in the process. Most are using it the way scalpers move concert tickets.

According to New Jersey Monthly, reservations are made under fake names using other fake information such as email addresses and sometimes stolen credit cards in order to secure a desirable table and time slot. Then they are posted on these scalping platforms which take a percentage of the sale.

Ridofranz

While it’s not clear how widespread the reservation scalping problem is yet in New Jersey, it’s been hitting New York hard. Kevin Dugan, government affairs director for the New York State Restaurant Association, says, “Some top-echelon restaurants have seen no-show rates spike from 10-15 percent to as much as 45 percent because many reservations obtained by scalpers don’t end up selling.”

How much are some tables going for? A brief glimpse at this app showed a restaurant in Margate with a suggested bid of $180. Another in Bordentown with a suggested bid of $218.

If this becomes popular enough, how long before high-end restaurants want a cut of the action and consider charging for their own tables? It might not be as ridiculous as it sounds.

No thanks, I’ll stick with DoorDash.