Are you unhappy with ticket resale websites?

GDS, why should a bank prevent a customer making a payment unless they know the transaction to be fraudulent? Customers choose to go through with these overpriced transactions. Most secondary sellers are not fraudulent, just opportunist, preying on customers being prepared to get something whatever the cost.

I think your final sentence is an uncalled for insult, E. Baker.

We know that ticket resellers are sailing close to the wind but are they acting illegally or fraudulently? Which? and correspondents on this Conversation and others on the same topic have been warning against use of certain companies and despairing of the lack of effective regulation of the market for a long time.

Perhaps you yourself have not read all the comments in this and subsequent Conversations on the whole sordid and exploitative business of concert and event ticketing. Banning the purchase of tickets by credit cards is not the answer – the whole operation, from the artistes upwards, needs a thorough shake-up; that is the only way to protect fans.

It would be interesting to check what contribution Margot James made to reforming this business when she was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility for nearly two years.

I think Malcolm was making a fair comment, Elaine. The ticket resellers are preying on the tendency of fans to buy tickets at any price – and for them it works. There have been ample warnings about ticket reselling in the media and advice to concert-goers to use common sense and not pay inflated prices, but needs must when the devil drives and the market is unstoppable without firm rules and enforcement of them.

I agree with you about artistes who ban “resold” tickets obtained through certain companies, but the fact is that the artistes, their agents, the promoters, and the numerous auxiliary and parasitic operators who are part of the food chain have been in it up to their necks and taking advantage of fans for years. Manipulating the prices of tickets up and down in the run up to an event, withholding blocks of seats and then releasing them, operating a false market – this is how the appeal of an event is hyped and the status of artistes is managed.

The soft approach by successive governments has not worked; the market is incapable of reforming itself. Without legislation – which the current government is frightened of introducing – the bad practices will persist and prevail. Ministers can wring their hands and tell people not to buy “resold” tickets [false description] but human nature dictates otherwise and consumers need protection from exploitation.

I do not condone sharp practice Elaine, but people knowingly pay inflated prices for tickets and there have been enough warnings about their methods of operation.

I tend to side with malcolm here. Anyone who chooses to pay an inflated price has agreed to that deal.

Let’s consider the alternative: what’s the worst that can happen if you pass up the chance to go to a gig?

Elaine Baker,

I am sorry that you do agree with my opinion, as posted above, but as it is only my opinion, it is what I think and therefore cannot be wrong.

I’m also afraid to report that I don’t use FaceBook, so I can’t (or won’t) be going on there to check the sources you’re referring too.

That said, if Viagogo have been misleading folk about the final costs of tickets, e.g. by charging, say, £30 for a £20 ticket, then £70 admin fees, then £100 for express delivery, and so on, then I don’t condone that behavior as a good open and honest business practice.

That said, as in all things both ancient and modern, I’d expect the classical principle of “caveat emptor” to apply. I guess that was malcolm’s point, but he is more than adequate of defending his view, should he wish to do so.

And again, if you don’t want to buy rip off priced tickets, what’s the worst that can happen if you pass up the chance to go to a gig?

The last gig I attended was free, apart from the charity donations I made there and my beer money. It also featured a nice hot summer day – and a three hour train delay getting home afterwards.

https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/secondary-ticketing-websites describes the work being done by the CMA to try to ensure that contract terms etc are fair. viagogo have not complied with requirements but it seems the “unfair terms” law is tricky and may need testing in court.

I am aware of the problems people have had with viagogo and, as I said above, do not condone sharp practice. However this is a problem that has been widely publicised, viagogo being a prime offender, so it would be better if people simply avoided using them. That might make them change their approach.

I would prefer to see only the promoter and accredited agents selling tickets at their face value, and anyone who wished to sell tickets they had purchased, but could not use, could only do so back to the promoter (but with no entitlement to a refund unless they could be resold). It won’t happen.

“Don’t buy tickets from Viagogo, minister warns
By Chris Johnston
Business reporter, BBC News
30 May 2018

A minister has told consumers not to use Viagogo, one of the big four secondary ticket resellers.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44299981