The UK’s competition watchdog has turned up the heat on Ticketmaster with just days to go before the first Oasis reunion tour date
Ticketmaster has been threatened with legal action over its handling of the Oasis reunion tour – as other websites listed the band’s first reunion show at eye-watering prices of up to £11,500 each.
The Competition and Markets Authority concluded in March this year that Ticketmaster may have misled fans. It said the company could have broken consumer laws by labelling some seated tickets as “platinum” and selling them for nearly two-and-a-half times the price of equivalent standard tickets. According to the CMA, they didn’t offer additional benefits and were often located in the same area of the stadium. Its probe also found Ticketmaster failed to properly tell fans there were two categories of standing tickets at different prices.
The watchdog says it has tried to find a voluntary resolution to its concerns, spelling out undertakings it would accept from Ticketmaster. But the CMA said there was a “fundamental disagreement” between them and Ticketmaster, with the firm refusing to agree to its suggestions. In a letter to MPs it said it has now “preparing to litigate the matter if necessary.”
Ticketmaster has previously said: “We strive to provide the best ticketing platform through a transparent, consumer friendly experience. We welcome the CMA’s input in helping make the industry better for fans.”
If a case goes ahead, the High Court will be asked to decide if consumer protection law has been breached. It came as ticket resale sites – not Ticketmaster – were found listing ticket’s to this Friday’s tour kick-off gig in Cardiff at astronomical mark-ups.
Tickets for the show were originally priced at £150 for standing tickets, through to between £215 to £505 for packages. But a check by consumer group Which? found tickets being advertised for thousands of pounds, with the highest being £11,510.
The government is currently consulting on ways to protect fans using resale websites. Which? launches a Stop Fleecing Fans campaign and wants a price cap introduced for secondary tickets, so they cannot be re-sold for more than the original buyer paid.
Lisa Webb, Which? consumer law expert, said: “Tickets to the Oasis reunion tour sold out months ago so fans desperate to attend face a lose-lose choice between risking the scammers on social media, paying hundreds more for tickets on secondary sites or missing out on the gigs. The government has promised to introduce stronger consumer protections for ticket purchases.
“Which? believes ministers must use this opportunity to put a stop to the touts and introduce a price cap to ensure that tickets can only be re-sold on secondary sites at the original price paid – the ticket’s face value plus any fees. In the meantime, we’d recommend fans only buy tickets through official resale sites – as this eliminates the risk of being scammed and gives them more protections if anything goes wrong.”