The FanFair Alliance has welcomed the news that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is to investigate the secondary ticketing market.
In a statement, the organization said “gig-goers need transparency”, pointing out that the MP Damian Collins recently described the sector as “a national scandal”.
Earlier today (December 19) the CMA announced plans to investigate suspected breaches of consumer protection law via online touting. The body specified that it will look at whether information on sellers’ identities, possible connections with event, organisers or platform; restrictions on the use of resold tickets that could result in denial of access; and where a seat is located in the venue.
The full FanFair Alliance statement is as follows:
“An enforcement investigation into online secondary ticketing is to be welcomed - especially in the context of ongoing scrutiny from Government, MPs, HMRC and the Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee, whose chair recently described this sector as a "national scandal". With such momentum, FanFair sincerely hopes that root-and-branch reforms will take place in 2017.
“Gig goers need transparency. They should know when the terms and conditions on their tickets prevent resale, and we welcome proper enforcement of the existing law so that real fans have a fair chance to buy tickets and stop them being scooped up by touts. The CMA looking at who these 'professional sellers' are and how they obtain their tickets is a positive development.
“However, UK audiences will be continue to be frustrated that measures to genuinely fix ticket resale are not being taken sooner - and while other countries take swift and decisive actions, British fans continue to be ripped off by touts operating under cover on the Big Four resale sites.
"We call on the Government to respond to recommendations made in the Waterson Review on secondary ticketing, and welcome the potential of a full inquiry by the Select Committee in the New Year.”
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Richard Davies, founder of Twickets, who worked with the Alliance on a petition to enforce the Consumer Rights Act earlier this year, added: “Ticketing transparency regulations under the Consumer Rights Act are being repeatedly ignored, so we welcome the CMA’s investigation into suspected breaches and promise of enforcement thereafter. We’d also like to see the use of bots criminalised in law, as proposed by Nigel Adams MP, and look forward to the Government response to the Waterson Review.”
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