Ticket reselling sites exposed by documentary

Rights, Scams and Politics

Updated on 24 February 2012 | 2 Comments

Channel 4's Dispatches found that concert promoters were selling tickets to a so-called 'fan-to-fan' website and their staff were reselling popular tickets for a profit.

An investigation by Channel 4 TV programme "Dispatches" has revealed that music concert promoters have been selling tickets directly to so-called ‘secondary’ ticket websites instead of fans.

Secondary ticket websites such as Viagogo and Seatwave claim they offer a ‘fan-to-fan’ service, where fans who cannot attend an event for any reason have the opportunity to sell their tickets to other fans who didn't get a ticket.

The websites guarantee the sales so, if anything goes wrong with the seller, the person buying the tickets is fully refunded. The sites claim that they provide a valuable service and prevent people from potentially being scammed on the plethora of fake ticket websites that exist.

However, as well as discovering that Viagogo was receiving tickets from promoters, the "Dispatches" investigation also found that the company’s staff were bulk buying tickets for popular events using multiple credit cards, and reselling them at a higher price on the website.

Many sellers, whether they are fans who genuinely cannot attend an event or people deliberately buying and reselling, resell tickets for popular events for a profit.

Viagogo told the programme: "Viagogo is an open marketplace, and while the majority of sellers are individuals we do not disallow larger sellers, including event organisers, from selling on our platform."

Some people also use eBay to resell tickets for a profit.

There is no suggestion that musicians are involved in the reselling. Indeed, some bands, such as the Libertines, and some promoters, such as Glastonbury Festival organiser Michael Eavis, have taken deliberate measures to prevent ticket reselling.

More: How I nearly fell for a ticket scam | Eight ways to spot a scam ticket website

Comments

Be the first to comment

Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature

Copyright © lovemoney.com All rights reserved.

 

loveMONEY.com Financial Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with Firm Reference Number (FRN): 479153.

loveMONEY.com is a company registered in England & Wales (Company Number: 7406028) with its registered address at First Floor Ridgeland House, 15 Carfax, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1DY, United Kingdom. loveMONEY.com Limited operates under the trading name of loveMONEY.com Financial Services Limited. We operate as a credit broker for consumer credit and do not lend directly. Our company maintains relationships with various affiliates and lenders, which we may promote within our editorial content in emails and on featured partner pages through affiliate links. Please note, that we may receive commission payments from some of the product and service providers featured on our website. In line with Consumer Duty regulations, we assess our partners to ensure they offer fair value, are transparent, and cater to the needs of all customers, including vulnerable groups. We continuously review our practices to ensure compliance with these standards. While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy and currency of our editorial content, users should independently verify information with their chosen product or service provider. This can be done by reviewing the product landing page information and the terms and conditions associated with the product. If you are uncertain whether a product is suitable, we strongly recommend seeking advice from a regulated independent financial advisor before applying for the products.