Watchdog warning on ticket resale sites

Some of the best-known ticket resale websites are failing to show customers the original price or seat information for top concerts and sporting events, a consumer watchdog has found.

Which? found tickets to a Six Nations Scotland versus England game sold through Seatwave with a face value of £0.00 and seats to a One Direction concert through Viagogo where the original cost was listed as between £44.55 and £72.60.

The World Ticket Shop website listed tickets to a Madonna Rebel Heart concert for £237.13 without displaying the original value, and Get Me In displayed tickets to a U2 concert with a block number but no details of row or seat.

Which? found all the companies, as well as Stubhub, were re-selling tickets with no clear information as to where fans would be sitting, leaving buyers unable to tell if they would get a good view or how far they would be from the stage or pitch.

It found a "lack of clarity" in the re-sale ticket terms and conditions as to whether the buyer would be allowed entry to the event having purchased a ticket through one of these sites.

In one case, Which? found a single seat for the Rugby World Cup final on Viagogo for £12,000 but, according to the event's ticketing policy, the buyer could risk not getting past the turnstiles, the watchdog said.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 specifically says that this information must be provided to prospective buyers to allow them to make an informed choice.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: "It's unacceptable that these ticket re-sale sites are getting away with not providing fans with key information, leaving fans unsure where they'll be seated or if they'll even get in.

"Re-selling sites must take responsibility for information displayed on their websites and ensure consumers are clear about what they're getting for their money."

A statement from Ticketmaster, which owns both Get Me In and Seatwave, said it acted in accordance with the Consumer Rights Act (CRA) and all other relevant regulations.

It said: "Our approach is that, when notified of an apparent gap in information, we would inform sellers of their obligation to provide details. If it becomes clear that a seller has the information and is not complying with the CRA, we would ultimately remove the listing.

"The reality is that legitimate, regulated and UK-based ticket resale marketplaces like Get Me In and Seatwave already offer consumer high levels of protection and service, with any instances of fraud being very rare."

A Stubhub spokeswoman said the company would address the specific examples of alleged breaches of the CRA regulations.

She said: "Since we are not the seller of the tickets listed on our website and have no ownership or possession of any tickets, we rely on our sellers to provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their tickets in order to comply with their legal obligations.

"Stubhub is not in a position to know whether the required information is available to each and every seller selling a ticket on its website, nor whether the information that is provided is accurate and complete."