A shocking Fine Gael-led sting operation against a prominent ticket resale platform, Viagogo, has exposed the dangers of these shady ticketing industry practices. Danny bought their ticket so he could go see the band Fontaines DC in London’s Finsbury Park. This new acquisition brings up the tricky world of ticket reselling. Much to his surprise, the ticket did come in. It also came paired with a stranger’s passport, leading to important discussions about identity verification and ticketing fraud on the secondary market.
Danny’s original ticket cost £92 all in, fees included. Instead of a straightforward flight purchase confirmation, he found a scanned copy of a Dutch man’s passport buried deep in the paperwork. The photo on the passport didn’t match anyone Danny knew. He and all of his friends had absolutely no problem getting through the venue’s turnstiles. Consequently, they had a relaxing experience at the concert without any worries.
In recent weeks, professor of football finance Kieran Maguire bought a ticket that was fraudulent. The seller, who was revealed to be a notorious Ticketmaster tout, had a history of using ticket-buying “bots” to jack up prices and control availability. This type of practice is unfortunately growing in popularity. That’s particularly the case with highly visible special events, such as Ed Sheeran shows, where prospective ticket buyers often face a situation of overwhelming demand.
Reports have emerged that mark-ups on tickets for popular acts, such as Billie Eilish, Oasis, and Diana Ross, have reached astonishing rates between 100% and 1,149%. Sky-high prices are still reigning on the resale market. In answer, groups such as FanFair Alliance are sounding alarms about how well existing regulatory tools are actually working. They lambasted the findings of those Bradshaw Advisory reports. They argued that there is “no real evidence” of increasing fraud in Ireland since the resale restrictions were implemented.
This is especially true in states and localities with rigid resale price restrictions. Increase in fraud Recent UK data shows that rates of fraud are significantly lower in Ireland and Victoria, Australia than the UK. This begs important questions of if and how regulation can better protect consumers without encouraging more fraud in the process.
This frustration mirrors larger fan community frustrations as they’re forced to deal with an expanding and more complicated resale market. Maguire shared his thoughts on the issue, suggesting that sellers might withdraw tickets from legitimate buyers to resell them at inflated prices:
“It felt like we were being asked to take part in a deliberate deception.” – Danny
As fan advocates keep the pressure on ticket resale practices, at the hands of these primary two fan representatives, they remind the need to protect fans from scammers. Organizations such as Get Safe Online have warned that capping ticket prices could inadvertently lead to an increase in scams, particularly on social media platforms:
“I’m not daft, I know what probably happened. The vendor is now able to sell it for more so they’ve withdrawn it and made it available to somebody else. The feedback I saw was that it had happened to quite a few people.” – Kieran Maguire
In response to growing concerns surrounding ticket reselling, the UK government has initiated a consultation aimed at determining appropriate price caps for for-profit resale, suggesting limits between zero and 30%. This announcement follows similar efforts at the state level as Labour parties across the country prepare for a long-promised regulatory and enforcement crackdown on the industry.
“Purely impartially, we believe that the enforcement of a ticket price cap will open up an opportunity for scammers to upscale ticket fraud, especially on social media – putting thousands of fans at potential risk.” – Get Safe Online
Viagogo stated:
Yet industry advocates are still unsure if these measures go far enough. Adam Webb criticized both FanFair Alliance and We Fight Fraud for their ties to the resale industry:
“Sellers on Viagogo must adhere to strict policies. If Viagogo has reason to believe a listing is speculative after review, it is taken down and we ask the seller to provide further proof of purchase.” – Viagogo
Combined with the ongoing fight between consumer protection advocates and ticket resellers, this clearly shows an industry in desperate need of reform. Consumers who wish to experience the value of live events are being dramatically affected. They need to be able to understand the complicated dance between demand, regulation, and scammers in order to not be scammed themselves.
“Both these groups have presented the Bradshaw and CEBR reports as independent and authoritative, despite everyone being on the resale industry payroll.” – Adam Webb
The ongoing battle between consumer protection advocates and ticket resellers highlights an urgent need for reform in the industry. The complex interplay between demand, regulation, and fraudulent practices poses significant challenges for consumers who simply wish to attend live events without falling victim to scams.