An angry consumer who bought non-transferable two-day tickets for the Leeds Festival 2025 is writing Ticketmaster to complain. This person purchased the tickets for their grandson for Christmas in early December. Now, they’re almost out of time trying to move the tickets before the concert in late August.
Since the pandemic ended most in-person concerts and live events, Ticketmaster—one of the largest players in concert ticketing—now controls about 70% of global ticket sales. The platform typically allows consumers to transfer tickets for most events, yet some specific events come with their own restrictions and rules. Unlike this example, here the Leeds Festival tickets are deeply regulated by policies enacted by Festival Republic, certainly not Ticketmaster as a platform. As of now, the secondary market for these tickets has yet to open.
The message from the consumer couldn’t be louder, consumer – we think you’re right that Ticketmaster is flouting consumer rights here. They emphasized that their grandson has to be able to wait for the transfer window to open before he can finalize his travel and accommodation arrangements. This state of affairs only compounds their frustration with the process.
Ticketmaster exercises draconian control over its distribution channel to prevent Ticketmaster tickets from being resold on competing resale sites. What consumers think Consumers have given the federal government’s simplistic strategy a resounding thumbs-down. It fights scalping and protects fans from being gouged. It can ensnare fans and ticket holders in its inflexible web of obtuse and often strict policies.
The consumer is right to find Ticketmaster’s transfer policy absurd. They are disappointed at the long expiration needed before they can gift the tickets to their grandson. They did so by taking their fight directly to Ticketmaster. More than anything, they hope for a resolution that upholds consumer rights while aligning with the festival’s principles.
The Leeds Festival is coming up fast. Only time will tell whether or not Ticketmaster is in fact changing its policies, or if consumers will continue to suffer under Ticketmaster’s anti-competitive policies.