Today, the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA), have announced that 3 of the UK’s biggest ticket resale platforms – StubHub, GET ME IN! and Seatwave – have formally committed to ensuring better information will be given about tickets being resold through their platforms.

The sites will make clear:

– whether there is a risk a customer might be turned away at the door 

– which seat in the venue the customer will get

– who is selling the ticket, so customers can benefit from enhanced legal rights when buying from a business

To ensure people can easily find this vital information, the 3 platforms will make significant changes to the way they gather and display it. They will make it mandatory for sellers to provide this information when listing a ticket, routinely carry out their own checks on primary ticket sellers’ websites about resale restrictions, and act promptly if event organisers tell them information is missing.

Unfortunately, Viagogo has not followed suit with its competitors, and has refused to make changes the CMA considers necessary. Therefore, the CMA has notified them it will take action through the courts, unless they promptly commit to satisfactorily addressing its concerns.

The full CMA statement can be seen here.

Commenting on today’s developments, Adam Webb, Campaign Manager for FanFair Alliance, said:

“Today’s CMA announcement is vindication for the FanFair Alliance campaign to overhaul the online ticket resale market. UK audiences have been taken for a ride for too long by the biggest secondary platforms and the dedicated touts who fuel their business.

“They will now be forced to dramatically change their practices and provide proper transparency. This cannot come soon enough.

“It is disappointing, though hardly unexpected, that Viagogo continue to flout the law and mislead the British public. If they fail to follow their competitors and make similar commitments, then we expect to see prosecution for non-compliance at the earliest opportunity.”