Consumer group Which? is calling for a clampdown on online “touts” after discovering tickets being advertised at huge mark-ups and risk that fans will be refused entry
Fans risk being ripped-off by concert tickets that are being advertised for up to eight times their face value, an investigation has found.
Consumer group Which? found tickets for gigs and popular events on big name resell websites Viagogo and StubHub International at what it called “eye-watering” price hikes. To make matters worse, guidelines from event organisers mean fans risk being turned away at the door.
The findings have prompted Which? to call on the government to ban online “ticket touts” from charging over-inflated prices.
Its researchers found tickets for the Reading Festival – where rapper Travis Scott is among this year’s headliners – listed at £596 on Viagogo and £616 on Stubhub International, despite tickets costing £325 still being available through the official ticket agents. Yet Which? says that Reading Festival explicitly lists Viagogo and Stubhub International as unauthorised ticket agents and warns people against buying tickets through them, meaning fans risk being turned away.
Tickets for an IDLES gig in Bristol in August this year cost £59.65 at face value, and are still available to buy via the primary ticket seller. However, tickets were listed on Viagogo for as much as £480 – eight times the face value price.
Which? found a similar situation when it comes to non-sporting event too. For instance, tickets for Royal Ascot were listed on Viagogo for between £150 and £154, and on Stubhub International for £96. Yet entry to the famous horseracing event in June were still available on the official website for just £34. And tickets for this year’s British Grand Prix were listed on Stubhub International for £181, while face value tickets were still available on the Silverstone website for £159.
Stubhub International’s listing for the Grand Prix included a disclaimer stating tickets may not be valid for entry, but said this was “unlikely”. However, Silverstone told Which? fans attempting to use a ticket at the gate that had not been purchased directly from an official ticket agent ran the risk of being refused entry.
The situation isn’t helped by secondary ticket sellers often being listed at or near the top of Google search results, says Which?
It revealed what happened to one Which? member, Ally, whose husband bought two tickets to see Pink in concert listed on Viagogo. He paid £400 for the two tickets when the face value was around £40 each. Ally said: “He didn’t realise how inflated they were. We didn’t end up going to the concert as I absolutely refused to spend that much money so I put them back on the site to try and get some money back. Resale sites often appear at the top of Google search results and it’s not always clear that they aren’t the official selling site.”
Which? is urging the government, which has pledged to introduce stronger consumer protections for ticket purchases and is currently consulting on changes to ticket resales, to take tough action. It is campaigning for the introduction of 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 – which should be shown up front in the ticket price. It also believes resale platforms should be required by law to verify that the seller owns a ticket before it can be listed on their site and should verify key information about a ticket, such as the original price and location within the venue
Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: “It’s shocking that secondary ticketing sites like Viagogo and StubHub International are allowing sellers to charge more than eight times the face value price for tickets to popular music and sports events. These sites often appear at the top of Google search results, making it hard for fans to decipher which platform is the official ticket seller.
“Tickets also appear on these sites despite warnings from the event organisers that anyone buying from a secondary seller risks being turned away at the door.
“Which? is calling on the government to make the ticketing industry fairer for fans by banning touts selling tickets for inflated prices and making secondary sites responsible for stopping tickets being sold if they won’t be valid at the door.”
In response, Viagogo said: “Viagogo is a safe, secure and regulated marketplace that helps connect millions of ticket sellers to fans wanting to see their favourite artists, sports teams and enjoy great live events. As a marketplace, Viagogo doesn’t sell tickets or set prices. Sellers set the price and fans ultimately decide the ticket value that meets their budget.
“Fans can easily choose the option which works best for them. This transparency also means sellers must compete against each other on price, in an open market, often leading to affordable options for fans. For example, during Beyoncé’s 2023 Renaissance tour in the UK, tickets were available for as low as £24, while tickets for the UK leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour were sold for as low as £80.
“Transparency is a priority for us, which is why we reject any suggestion that Viagogo misleads users. What you see in a listing price is what you will pay for the ticket on Viagogo. Viagogo’s UK website discloses the face value for every ticket , and includes the disclosure that ‘We’re the world’s largest secondary marketplace for tickets to live events. Prices are set by sellers and may be below or above face value’. We also include disclosures, as required, to highlight all primary event restrictions which are made clear to the buyer before purchase, even if those restrictions are never enforced. Viagogo takes its obligations under the law seriously and is fully compliant in the UK.”
It added: “We will continue to advocate for access, transparency and open marketplaces for event lovers. We oppose anti-competitive actions taken by event organisers to restrict purchasing and resale options to certain platforms in a transparent attempt to control the market as they ultimately harm fans by limiting their choice, flexibility, and access.”
StubHub International said: “We are committed to bringing the joy of live events to fans through a safe, trusted, and transparent marketplace, which is already highly regulated in the UK. As a marketplace, we do not set ticket prices – sellers list at their preferred price, and buyers decide whether to purchase based on what they believe is worthwhile.
“We ensure complete ticket and price transparency by displaying all relevant information, including restrictions and face value price, from the earliest stage of the purchase journey. In our experience, tickets listed at exceptionally high prices rarely, if ever, sell.
“We also enforce strict measures to protect consumers. Speculative listings are not allowed on our platform – any tickets listed before general sale come from pre-sale purchases, and fans can choose to resell them if they wish.”
It concluded: “We look forward to working with the Government to ensure any policy changes continue to protect fans and provide access to the events they love.”
