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Gig-goers to be better protected against rip-off ticket resale sites

Paloma Kubiak
Written By:
Paloma Kubiak
Posted:
Updated:
15/02/2018

The government is cracking down on unscrupulous secondary ticketing tout sites which should mean concert-goers are better protected.

Ticket re-sale sites and platforms will need to provide more information around events, including location of seats or standing area, any restrictions and the original price of the ticket.

Resellers will also need to reveal details of any connections they have with either online companies or organisers of events, as well as supplying the unique ticket number (UTN) to the purchaser if the event organiser or primary seller specifies one.

The new rules are due to come into force in April 2018, making it easier for fans to understand exactly what they’re buying and helping guard against rip-off ticket prices.

The move builds on earlier steps by the government to crack down on touts using ‘bots’ to bulk buy tickets for resale, and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is also investigating suspected breaches of consumer protection law online. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is also investigation whether secondary ticketing websites have broken any advertising rules.

Consumer minister, Andrew Griffiths, said: “All too often people are left feeling ripped off when buying tickets from resale websites. Whether it’s a major music festival or a stadium concert, people want to know they’re paying a fair price for tickets to see the events they love.”

Last week, Google announced it will require ticket resellers to be certified before they can advertise through its AdWords service which should make it easier for consumers to find tickets on the primary market.