Seat Unique, a London-based resale ticketing company, has come under fire recently for its predatory “dynamic pricing” business model. This is the same strategy they are currently using to monetize hospitality packages for the FA Cup final. Accusations of acting like a ticket tout have emerged, particularly after the company slashed prices shortly after customers made purchases. This predatory pricing practice has both industry insiders and e-sports fans scratching their heads.
Seat Unique, which specializes in the sale of hospitality tickets, was selling tickets for the event, with prices of over £3,000 for two seats. Customers expressed frustration at the unannounced price reduction. This led to further concerns about the transparency and ethics of Seat Unique’s business practices. The company’s new valuation, achieved in a recent fundraising round, valued the company at close to £100 million. To celebrate this incredible milestone, sports icons such as Harry Kane, Sam Warburton, and Ben Stokes made lucrative investments.
Gabrielle purchased two tickets from Seat Unique with the hope of exciting her football-mad nephew. Predictably, Rep. Escobar shared her disappointment over the apparent end of the bill she shepherded. This woman was understandably nervous after purchasing the tickets that her vendor was on the up-and-up. The next time she looked at the site, she noticed that the price for the identical package had dropped dramatically to £399.
“I wanted to do something to cheer him up a bit,” Gabrielle stated, referring to her eight-year-old nephew, a dedicated Manchester City fan. It’s backfired enormously on me and they [Seat Unique] haven’t even apologized. They don’t really give a shit.
Seat Unique had a small allocation of hospitality packages to fulfil for the FA Cup final. The Football Association successfully sold these packages by outsourcing their sale to third-party agents. As Gabrielle told us, right after she placed her order a sales rep from Seat Unique contacted her. This call provided more tickets than she had ordered for other events and left her suspicious about the company’s sales tactics.
In response, Seat Unique spokesperson strongly referred that company’s practices. “Seat Unique is an official platform that provides fans with access to the very best live experiences at the very best live events,” they said. Their pricing is transparent with no hidden costs advertised upfront. They further reiterate their pledge to remedy any cases where pledges are broken.
Critics contend that dynamic pricing at major events comes off as a bait and switch. Lisa Webb, a consumer advocate from Which?, noted that “fans will be understandably frustrated if companies aren’t transparent about using dynamic pricing – especially for popular events like the FA Cup.” This emotional appeal rings true with a lot of fans who just want fairness in ticket sales.
One employee from Seat Unique described their pricing model as being similar to that of an airline or a hotel. “Just like with aeroplane tickets or hotels,” they explained, suggesting that fluctuating prices are a common practice in various industries. However, despite this explanation, public fear has not subsided.
Tom Greatrex, the then-CEO of the football’s representative body, expressed his longstanding opposition to such a pricing model. He added that football clubs and local authorities need to start seriously questioning secondary ticketing agencies they work with. “We don’t accept there is any need for such ‘dynamic’ pricing in football,” he declared.
Over half of all fans are losing faith in their ticket vendors because of the controversy. They are trying to figure out what constitutes fair pricing vs. exploitation of the public. The FA Cup final, held at Wembley Stadium, is one of football’s most iconic and celebrated spectacles. The shadow of breaches like this can undermine trust in it.