Ticket resale sites are ripping people off, watchdog says
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Version 0 of 1. Online ticket agencies are cheating consumers by flouting the Consumer Rights Act, reckons Which? It spent eight weeks monitoring four of the biggest secondary ticketing websites and found evidence that consumers are missing out. It said tickets appeared on re-sale sites before they were even officially released and accused the online sites of ignoring re-sale restrictions. Its research also revealed tickets appearing simultaneously on primary and re-sale sites and some suspicious ticket release patterns. Which? found that resale websites were unfair to buyers in several ways: • Tickets appeared on resale sites before being officially released • Tickets appeared on primary and resale sites at the same time • Strange patterns of ticket releases – such as resales within minutes of a priority pre-sale • Resale restrictions being ignored – such as by failing to tell buyers ID was required on the door It isn’t illegal to resell tickets for profit but Which? executive director Richard Lloyd, said: “Sites should adhere to the Consumer Rights Act so that fans understand what they’re buying. The Government should crack down on those who resell tickets at inflated prices on an industrial scale.” |