Ticket Touts in collusion with Ticket Sellers?
Discussion
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3vrw4v3q2o
Got me thinking.
I've spent hundreds and hundreds of pounds for tickets for me and my family for gigs and festivals that were seemingly sold out in seconds, only for myriad tickets to appear on these reselling sites within seconds. Most recent one, was £300 per ticket for daughter and a couple of friends to see Lana Del Ray at Wembley this summer as a present for finishing GCSE.
I have to say I am ultra satisfied seeing these touting scum going to prison. Yes they haven't harmed anyone but they have taken the public for fools and it is, to my eyes, defrauding of the general public.
However, will there now be a raft of compo claims, like Dieselgate, or PPI, for those of us to reclaim the difference between face value and what we actually paid from the likes of TicketMaster?
Got me thinking.
I've spent hundreds and hundreds of pounds for tickets for me and my family for gigs and festivals that were seemingly sold out in seconds, only for myriad tickets to appear on these reselling sites within seconds. Most recent one, was £300 per ticket for daughter and a couple of friends to see Lana Del Ray at Wembley this summer as a present for finishing GCSE.
I have to say I am ultra satisfied seeing these touting scum going to prison. Yes they haven't harmed anyone but they have taken the public for fools and it is, to my eyes, defrauding of the general public.
However, will there now be a raft of compo claims, like Dieselgate, or PPI, for those of us to reclaim the difference between face value and what we actually paid from the likes of TicketMaster?
It's weird that this is now news again - I'm sure Channel 4 ran a story on collusion by websites like Ticketmaster many years ago.
Sadly those truly to blame, the website operators, are getting away without any punishment and are seemingly not even acknowledging their involvement. As you'd expect, I suppose.
The whole thing is pretty grubby. Whilst I've also spent a fortune on tickets over the last 25 years, that has mostly been smaller gigs rather than the big, high demand ones so I probably haven't missed out on much. I completely sympathise with those that have been unable to get tickets, or paid over the odds.
Happily we now have sites like Twickets, which I've used a couple of times recently to buy resale tickets at face value plus fees. I'd urge everyone to avoid the resale sites mentioned in the article and use Twickets instead.
Sadly those truly to blame, the website operators, are getting away without any punishment and are seemingly not even acknowledging their involvement. As you'd expect, I suppose.
The whole thing is pretty grubby. Whilst I've also spent a fortune on tickets over the last 25 years, that has mostly been smaller gigs rather than the big, high demand ones so I probably haven't missed out on much. I completely sympathise with those that have been unable to get tickets, or paid over the odds.
Happily we now have sites like Twickets, which I've used a couple of times recently to buy resale tickets at face value plus fees. I'd urge everyone to avoid the resale sites mentioned in the article and use Twickets instead.
For years, the likes of Ticketmaster through significant time, money and energy lobbied the Tories to make touting illegal. The net result is that they and the other big fish in this stinky sea get to run a virtual monopoly on tickets, distribution and pricing. The previous market had its corner touts for sure but at least you had a chance if you didn't manage to get a ticket up front, and even then would rarely if ever pay anywhere close to what the modern tech based 'official' parasites charge.
Another example of MPs not having the first clue on how a real world runs and legislating an industry that didn't actually need it. Truth is they didn't like the little guys making a few speculative quid, whom once they taste some power they instinctively have an aversion to.
Another example of MPs not having the first clue on how a real world runs and legislating an industry that didn't actually need it. Truth is they didn't like the little guys making a few speculative quid, whom once they taste some power they instinctively have an aversion to.
From being inside the business/industry for many many years this is all just 'part of the picture'. Obviously with any business, and especially in a supply/demand world, there are individual people who abuse the system and these people also need to face some kind of repercussions. Ultimately touting is the biggest problem and some of that is actually down to places you would class as 'legitimate'.
Ticketmaster themselves, have admittedly been in various stages of "collusion" as well as owning their own resale sites but these attempts at controlling the secondary market to allow for better controls, more regulated prices and ultimately fewer scams are usually met with backlash from punters for things like conflict of interest.
Unfortunately tens of thousands of people are turned away from entry when buying through places like Lastminute, Stubhub and Viagogo because they're deemed as 'safe' but it's very seldom these places send reps to events or even lay on extra staff to cover busy events to try and resolve issues. The vast majority of their issues will be emailed into the promoter/venue, which are in turn sent to the original vendor anyway as they do not have a tie in to the ticketing systems and generally do not know if a resold ticket is even valid anymore.
The line here will always be the same. If you are not the original purchaser of the ticket/did not buy it from an authorised seller, you cannot do anything. It's then up to the 3rd party if you get refunded or not.
The emergence of Twickets, is an excellent step. A place that does have all these things to allow for proper resale, and is essentially just what Ticketmaster had aimed to do some 15 years ago with getmein. I've personally used touts etc. before I was in the industry so I understand the need for that second market and it's point of contention. The government won't police it and unfortunately there are always predators when there is money to be made.
Police State said:
For years, the likes of Ticketmaster through significant time, money and energy lobbied the Tories to make touting illegal.
This is very true, and has been happening for governments before the Conservatives and has always been knocked back. Ticketmaster themselves, have admittedly been in various stages of "collusion" as well as owning their own resale sites but these attempts at controlling the secondary market to allow for better controls, more regulated prices and ultimately fewer scams are usually met with backlash from punters for things like conflict of interest.
Unfortunately tens of thousands of people are turned away from entry when buying through places like Lastminute, Stubhub and Viagogo because they're deemed as 'safe' but it's very seldom these places send reps to events or even lay on extra staff to cover busy events to try and resolve issues. The vast majority of their issues will be emailed into the promoter/venue, which are in turn sent to the original vendor anyway as they do not have a tie in to the ticketing systems and generally do not know if a resold ticket is even valid anymore.
The line here will always be the same. If you are not the original purchaser of the ticket/did not buy it from an authorised seller, you cannot do anything. It's then up to the 3rd party if you get refunded or not.
The emergence of Twickets, is an excellent step. A place that does have all these things to allow for proper resale, and is essentially just what Ticketmaster had aimed to do some 15 years ago with getmein. I've personally used touts etc. before I was in the industry so I understand the need for that second market and it's point of contention. The government won't police it and unfortunately there are always predators when there is money to be made.
This (now dated) book is well worth a read if you’re wanting some insight into the practices said business got up to in the past https://amzn.eu/d/1YZ9nyK
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