Getty PicturesThe federal government has introduced plans to cap the value of resale tickets in a clamp-down on ticket touts who bulk purchase tickets after which resell them for enormous income.
The cap would apply to tickets within the stay occasions {industry} together with sport, music, comedy and theatre.
It was one of the government’s election promises, after complaints from followers and concert-goers in regards to the massively inflated value of some resale tickets.
A public session will now be launched to contemplate the cap and the way a lot will probably be – anyplace from the ticket’s face worth or as much as 30% on high of the unique value.
Based on evaluation by the Competitors and Market Authority (CMA), tickets bought on the resale market are usually marked up by greater than 50%.
Investigations by Buying and selling Requirements have uncovered proof of tickets being resold for as much as six occasions their unique value.
Followers for music artists including Coldplay and Taylor Swift have complained that minutes after tickets to their concert events bought out, resale tickets had been listed on-line for hundreds of kilos.
The federal government says its session will search views on capping resale costs on a spread, from the unique value to as much as a 30% uplift.
Ministers are additionally proposing limiting the variety of tickets that resellers can promote, to the utmost they’re allowed to buy within the unique ticket sale.
In addition they need to create new authorized obligations for ticket resale web sites and apps to supervise the accuracy of data they supply to followers – with Buying and selling Requirements and the Competitors and Advertising Authority chargeable for enforcement.
Tradition Secretary Lisa Nandy mentioned: “We’re taking motion to strengthen shopper protections, cease followers getting ripped off and guarantee cash spent on tickets goes again into our unbelievable stay occasions sector, as an alternative of into the pockets of grasping touts.”
She told BBC Breakfast on Friday: “This has been happening for years, it has been fleecing followers, and we are saying time is up for ticket touts, sufficient is sufficient.
“I imagine that music belongs to followers, and that followers make the music {industry} what it’s… Followers need to purchase tickets however they can not, as a result of I do not know anybody on this nation that may afford £1,000… for a ticket.”
She added: “Touts are distorting the market as a result of what they’re doing is taking these tickets away from followers, inflating the costs and promoting them on, so they’re denying the followers the value that the ticket firm has set and the band need to promote the tickets for, and as an alternative all of that cash is pouring into [the touts’] pockets.”
Alongside the session, ministers have launched a name for proof into dynamic pricing – which is says is usually used to promote unsold tickets with decrease costs however has meant some prospects have been caught out paying greater costs for high-demand occasions.
“The decision for proof will search views on how the ticketing system within the stay occasions sector is working for followers and whether or not the present system offers ample safety from unfair practices,” the governments support.
Final 12 months, Oasis followers had been requested to pay as a lot as £350 per ticket, round £200 greater than had been marketed, attributable to demand.
Beforehand, Noel and Liam Gallagher mentioned they’d not been conscious that dynamic pricing can be used for his or her UK stadium exhibits subsequent summer season – however acknowledged that the roll out of the tickets had not gone as deliberate.
Ticketmaster has mentioned it doesn’t set costs and that it’s right down to the “occasion organiser” who “has priced these tickets based on their market worth”.
‘Doubtlessly game-changing’
Ticket resale websites have beforehand defended their providers, with Viagogo saying its web site ensures resales are “a safe, secure transaction”.
Viagogo’s boss previously told the BBC plenty of followers truly desire shopping for on Viagogo as an alternative of shopping for tickets direct.
“They do not need to be compelled to rise up on Friday morning and wait in a queue which will or could not occur,” he says.
In an announcement, Viagogo mentioned it might “proceed to constructively interact with the federal government”.
It added that it’s going to “sit up for responding in full to the session and name for proof on bettering shopper protections within the ticketing market”.
In the meantime, Ticketmaster mentioned it might help a cap on the reselling of tickets.
“Since 2018, our resale has been capped at face worth, offering followers a secure place to promote tickets they can not use on the unique value set by artists and occasion organisers,” it mentioned.
“We help proposals to introduce an industry-wide resale value cap. We additionally urge the federal government to crack down on bots and ban speculative ticket gross sales.”
Campaigners and music artists have welcomed the session. UK Music, which represents the UK’s music {industry}, mentioned it needed a “clear value cap”.
Musician and DJ Fatboy Slim gave his backing to the federal government’s proposals, saying it was “nice to see cash being put again into followers’ pockets as an alternative of resellers”.
Labour’s Sharon Hodgson, the MP who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on ticket abuse and has been campaigning for 15 years on the problem, additionally welcomed the federal government’s proposal.
“I hope all those that have been affected by the inflated costs, speculative ticket promoting or fallen sufferer to scams which are prolific throughout the secondary market will become involved on this session,” she mentioned.
FanFair Alliance, a marketing campaign group that was arrange towards ticket touts, known as the measures “probably game-changing”.
It pointed to different nations – such as Ireland which banned ticket touting in 2021 – saying it exhibits “how laws to stop the resale of tickets for revenue can massively curb the unlawful and anti-consumer practices of on-line ticket touts and offshore resale platforms. The UK merely must observe their instance”.
