Some ticket resale websites are breaching rules set up to protect consumers’ rights, according to research by Which?
The 2015 Consumer Rights Act requires key details such as face value, seat area and any restrictions are made clear by anyone reselling a gig or event ticket.
But consumer’s association Which? says Stubhub, Viagogo, WorldTicketShop and Ticketmaster-owned Get Me In! and Seatwave were found to be reselling some tickets “with no clear information as to where fans would be sitting.”
Which? executive director Richard Lloyd tells the BBC: “It’s unacceptable. These ticket resale sites are getting away with not providing fans with key ticket information, leaving them unsure whether their ticket is a good deal, where they’ll be seated or if they’ll even get in.”
The investigation cites examples including face value for seats to a Six Nations rugby game being given as £0 on Seatwave and tickets to a One Direction concert with the face value being vaguely listed as between £44.55 and £72.60 on Viagogo.
All of the companies were reselling some tickets with no clear information as to where fans would be sitting.
The sites have all responded by saying it is the seller’s responsibility to provide the correct information before listing the tickets on their digital platforms
A spokesperson for Get Me In! and Seatwave says: “We work with those selling tickets on our sites to ensure that they understand their obligations to comply with their legal duties, including the requirements to list all available ticket details.
“Our approach is that, when notified of an apparent gap in information, we would inform sellers of their obligation to provide details. If it becomes clear that a seller has the information and is not complying with the CRA, we would ultimately remove the listing.”
Meanwhile, a new company called Vibe Tickets has launched with the aim of killing the secondary ticket market and driving touts out of business.
The Vibe app was launched after disgruntled 5 Second Of Summer fans were left disappointed when they missed out on tickets, only to see them on sale hours later at hugely inflated prices. It aims to link fans with spare tickets to those who missed out.
