VANOC cuts final Fan-to-Fan cheques By BOB MACKIN, QMI Agency

VANCOUVER - Organizers of the 2010 Winter Olympics claim the last batch of cheques for Fan-to-Fan Marketplace sellers “was put into the mail system” on Tuesday.

VANOC waited until the last day of April -- more than two months after the Olympics closed -- to begin sending the first of 12,000 cheques to those who sold tickets on the official scalping website.

Vice-president of communications Renee Smith-Valade said payments were sent in batches “of a few thousand every other business day or so.”

Smith-Valade denied the delay is cash-flow related.

“It has everything to do with volume and people can always call our general switchboard if they have not received their cheques by mid-month,” Smith-Valade said.

Brampton, Ont. ticket broker Rob James said he sold 173 tickets for $70,000 through VANOC, which took a 20 percent cut of transactions. As of Wednesday, he had not received his cheque.

“I guess if it’s not a priority for them, then it moves down the priority list,” said James, owner of Brampton Tickets.