Major Crackdown on Ticket Touts Announced
UK ministers are planning an aggressive crackdown on ticket touts, with new legislation that could mean you never have to pay more than the original face value for resale tickets again. The plans, set to be announced on Wednesday, will outlaw the reselling of tickets for a profit.
Fans Faced Extortionate Prices
The move follows substantial public outcry over the practices of resellers. Last year, the issue was starkly highlighted when thousands of Oasis fans complained about the cost of tickets for the band's first tour since 2009. Some tickets for the Wembley Stadium shows were being listed for well over £4,000, far exceeding their original value.
A public consultation titled 'Putting fans first: consultation on the resale of live events tickets' was held in January, which considered a multi-faceted approach to the problem. This new legislation is the government's direct response.
Key Measures of the New Legislation
The proposed rules are comprehensive and designed to protect consumers from exploitative practices.
The resale of a ticket above its face value will become illegal. This is the cornerstone of the new law, directly targeting the core business model of touts.
Additionally, the government will cap the service fees charged by resale platforms. This aims to prevent price limits from being undermined by hidden additional costs.
To combat the use of automated bots, the legislation will also make it illegal for individuals to resell more tickets than they were originally permitted to buy. This measure directly addresses the bulk-buying that makes tickets instantly scarce.
Impact on Resale Platforms and Consumers
Major secondary ticketing platforms like Viagogo and StubHub are expected to be dealt a heavy blow if these changes proceed. A spokesperson for StubHub International argued to the Financial Times that such measures would push ticket transactions to an unregulated black market, ultimately harming consumers.
However, the Financial Times reports that the new rules are expected to save consumers up to £40 on the average resale ticket. A campaign by Virgin Media O2, called 'Let’s Stamp it Tout', found that touts cost gig-goers approximately £145 million a year in elevated prices, with one in five tickets ending up on a resale platform.
The government's action follows direct appeals from major artists. Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was called upon by acts including Coldplay, Dua Lipa, and Radiohead to cap resale prices and crack down on touting websites.
