UK clamp down on Viagogo

UK clamp down on Viagogo

Concert-goers will be pleased to hear that the Advertising Standards Authority in the United Kingdom has clamped down on ticket resellers, such as Viagogo. It has issued instructions to four of the UK’s biggest ticket resellers (Viagogo, StubHub UK, Seatwave and Get Me In) to increase the transparency of fees and charges and prevent misleading advertising. Specifically, all ticket resellers will be required to make clear from the outset the total ticket cost, including the booking fee (inclusive of VAT), any applicable delivery fees and non-optional taxes. Also, information must be clearly provided about seat location, ticket restrictions and the original price of the ticket. The ASA has gone one step further with Viagogo, expressly banning it from calling itself an “official site” and claiming a “100% guarantee of entry” because both statements are misleading.

In New Zealand, the Commerce Commission is investigating Viagogo in the context of the Fair Trading Act. In the meantime, Commerce Commission is advising consumers to seriously consider whether it is worth the risk of buying from Viagogo.

The best advice: only buy tickets from primary sellers – visit the event’s official website and follow the link to buying tickets from there. Ticket resellers such as Viagogo can pay Google to have themselves appear first in a search, meaning that numerous consumers are wrongly assuming that Viagogo is an authorised primary seller.

If you have paid for tickets using a credit card, your bank may be able to help. Our quick guide on credit card chargebacks is on the Banking Ombudsman Scheme website here.

The Commerce Commission has information available on ticket resales here

ENDS

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