The UK’s competition watchdog has initiated an investigation into Ticketmaster following issues with the sale of Oasis tickets. Many fans encountered difficulties, prompting an official inquiry.
The investigation aims to uncover whether consumer protection laws were breached and focuses on ‘dynamic pricing’ practices potentially used during the ticket sale.
Fan Frustration and Inquiry Details
Thousands of fans experienced significant frustration as they attempted to purchase tickets for Oasis’s concerts in the UK and Ireland. Many encountered hours-long virtual queues, only to discover ticket prices had surged into the hundreds of pounds.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has begun investigating whether Ticketmaster’s practices, including ‘dynamic pricing,’ breached consumer protection laws. The watchdog is gathering evidence from Ticketmaster, Oasis’s management, and event organisers.
Exploring Dynamic Pricing
Dynamic pricing allows ticket prices to fluctuate based on demand, often resulting in significantly higher prices as availability decreases. Many fans were unaware of this pricing model, leading to confusion and anger.
This practice became a focal point for the CMA’s investigation. The watchdog is assessing if fans were provided with clear and timely information about ticket pricing, and if they were subject to undue pressure to make swift purchasing decisions.
Legal and Practical Challenges of Resale Tickets
Oasis’s management has threatened to cancel resold tickets, urging fans not to purchase from secondary sellers like Viagogo. However, the feasibility of cancelling such tickets is questionable.
Benjamin Barrier, co-founder of DataDome, highlighted the challenge of identifying and cancelling tickets bought by fraudsters, stating, ‘Career fraudsters will have advanced techniques to hide their identity.’ This makes it difficult for promoters to enforce such cancellations.
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Industry Experts Weigh In
Industry and legal experts have weighed in on the practical and legal aspects of cancelling resold tickets. Joel Crouch, chief revenue officer at Fixr, noted ‘the secondary market becomes a dark art very quickly,’ underscoring the difficulties in tracking resold tickets.
Prateek Swaika from Boies Schiller noted that terms and conditions could allow ticket sellers to cancel transfers. However, this often ends up penalising legitimate fans rather than fraudsters, adding another layer of complexity to the issue.
CMA’s Call for Evidence
As part of its investigation, the CMA has called on fans to submit evidence of their ticket-buying experiences. This includes encouraging fans to provide screenshots and other documentation of their purchase attempts.
Sarah Cardell, CEO of the CMA, emphasised the importance of hearing from fans, stating, ‘We want to hear from fans who went through the process and may have encountered issues.’ This initiative aims to gather comprehensive data to assess if consumer protection laws were breached.
Ticketmaster’s Position and Response
Ticketmaster has expressed its willingness to cooperate with the CMA investigation. A spokesperson for the company stated, ‘We are committed to cooperating with the CMA and look forward to sharing more facts about the ticket sale with them.’
Despite the investigation, Ticketmaster remains a dominant player in the ticket sales market, handling the bulk of ticket transactions for major events in the UK. The outcome of the investigation could have significant implications for future ticket sales practices.
Impact on Fans and Future Implications
The investigation has significant implications for fans and the broader ticketing industry. Fans hope for greater transparency and fairness in ticket pricing, while industry stakeholders are closely monitoring the CMA’s actions.
The outcome of the investigation could influence future regulations and practices within the ticketing industry, potentially leading to more stringent controls on dynamic pricing and resale practices.
The investigation into Ticketmaster’s sales practices reflects growing concerns over transparency and fairness in the ticketing industry. Many fans faced significant challenges and frustrations, prompting this official inquiry.
As the CMA gathers evidence and assesses the situation, the investigation’s outcome could lead to significant changes in how tickets for major events are sold and managed in the future.
