Following a long-running complaint by FanFair Alliance and others, the Advertising Standards Authority has today announced a clampdown on the misleading pricing practices of secondary ticketing websites.
This will ban websites such as Viagogo, StubHub, Get Me In and Seatwave from the following:
– Not making clear the total ticket price at the beginning of the customer journey
– Not including the booking fee (inclusive of VAT) upfront
– Not making clear the applicable delivery fee
Additionally, the ASA has banned Viagogo from suggesting it is an official primary ticketing agent by using the term “official site”, and from using the term “100% guaranteed” on the tickets they list.
Full details can be found on the ASA website.
Commenting on the ruling, FanFair Alliance said:
“FanFair Alliance is aware of thousands of UK music fans who feel ripped off by so-called secondary ticketing platforms. Almost without fail, these victims share three recurring complaints: they were directed via Google advertising towards these sites, they thought they were purchasing from an authorised seller, and they were misled on pricing.
“While we welcome today’s ASA ruling and hope it goes some way to addressing this latter issue, what’s absolutely crucial now is enforcement. Without proper sanctions, we fear that much-needed reforms will not be implemented, particularly by Viagogo, and the public will continue to be duped.”
Claire Turnham, founder of the Victim of Viagogo #VofV Facebook group added:
“As consumers we need to be safe, informed and protected when buying tickets. No longer will we accept or tolerate unclear pricing and deceptive advertising tactics. Like Fanfair Alliance, we welcome the proactive commitment by the ASA to bring greater clarity and transparency. For lasting and significant change we trust these positive changes will be enforced.”