Ticketmaster has said that it is going to cancel 50,000 tickets for the upcoming Oasis gigs in the UK because they were purchased on resale sites.
And the promoters, Live Nation and SJM, have confirmed that these tickets will go back on sale through Ticketmaster at face value.
The move, Ticketmaster claims, is to combat touting. Tickets were appearing on resale sites such as Viagogo at vastly inflated prices. Rules for the ticket sales stated that fans were only allowed to buy tickets via Ticketmaster or resale partner, Twickets, at face value.
In a statement to the BBC, a Live Nation spokesperson said: “These terms and conditions were successfully put in place to take action against secondary ticketing companies reselling tickets for huge profit. Only four percent of tickets have ended up on resale sites. Some major tours can see up to 20 percent of tickets appearing via the major unauthorised secondary platforms.”
“All parties involved with the tour continue to urge fans not to purchase tickets from unauthorised websites as some of these may be fraudulent and others subject to cancellation.”
Any fans who feel that they have been dealt with unjustly have the option of speaking to the relevant ticket agents for a resolution.
There are two sides to every story, though, and whilst touting undoubtedly does go on on secondary platforms, the likes of Viagogo claim that they are providing a way for fans that missed out on the initial sale or who may have had issues with their internet connection to purchase tickets.
Cris Miller, Viagogo global managing director, has previously argued this very point: “We know fans are frustrated with the process and we know there is a better way. We continue to support industry collaboration to ensure the entire ticketing market works for fans and the live entertainment industry.
“Resale is legal in the UK and fans are always protected by our guarantee that they will receive their tickets in time for the event or their money back.”
The secondary market in tickets is a hugely controversial issue, and one which the government is currently reviewing. The question of ‘surge’ or dynamic pricing is also being looked at by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to see if it has broken consumer protection law. The recent debacle over Oasis tickets, which saw fans paying many times over the odds for tickets through Ticketmaster, brought this practice - used for a while in the industry - fully out into the open.
