Choice Magazine accuses ticket resale sites of misleading fans

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Choice Magazine accuses ticket resale sites of misleading fans

March 8, 2017

Choice Magazine has lodged a complaint against the Ticketmaster Resale and Viagogo ticketing websites, alleging misleading and deceptive conduct.

As reported by the ABC, the complaint to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) names the Swiss-based reseller Viagogo, and the Australian site Ticketmaster Resale, owned by Ticketmaster Australasia.

While both sites claim to offer fans a means of disposing of unwanted tickets to music and sporting events they are also used by scalpers to offer tickets to sold-out events at hugely inflated prices.

Choice Magazine spokesman Tom Godfrey told the ABC “we found Ticketmaster Resale listed VIP tickets to Justin Bieber's concert at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane for $2,555, a 374% mark up on the face value of $539.”

The ABC has confirmed Frontier Touring, which is promoting Midnight Oil's 2017 reunion tour, is also preparing a submission to the ACCC focusing on what it called "misleading sales tactics and language" used by some resale sites.

Last week, Midnight Oil fans were outraged when the band's tour sold out on Ticketmaster in minutes - only for those tickets to appear soon after on resale sites at hugely inflated prices.

They were even angrier when one of those sites was Ticketmaster's subsidiary, Ticketmaster Resale, leading some fans to accuse the company itself of scalping.

Apart from high prices, the Australian Consumers Association's magazine investigation found purchasing tickets through Ticketmaster Resale could leave consumers holding a cancelled ticket or hit with a large fine.

In 2012, Choice named Ticketmaster in a shortlist of eight of Australia's 'shonkiest' goods and services.

Click here to read Choice Magazine's report Stopped at the gate.

1st March 2017 - TICKETMASTER RESALE WEBSITE SLAMMED AFTER MIDNIGHT OIL SELL OUT

27th February 2017 - TRANSPORT DISPUTE MARS PREPARATIONS FOR ADELE’S UPCOMING BRISBANE CONCERTS

24th February 2017 - TICKETMASTER’S MARIA O’CONNOR NAMED FEMALE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

23rd February 2017 - TICKET RESELLER VIAGOGO HIT BY MULTIPLE SPANISH LEGAL ACTIONS

29th December 2016 - TICKETMASTER ACCUSED OF FACILITATING SCALPING AT BIG BASH LEAGUE GABBA SELLOUT

22nd November 2016 - TICKETEK AND TICKETMASTER RESPOND TO MASSIVE DEMAND FOR ADELE TOUR TICKETS

24th September 2016 - GROWING USE OF BOTS FOR HOT SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT TICKETS REIGNITE SCALPING DEBATE

31st October 2012 - TICKETEK AND TICKETMASTER LISTED AMONG AUSTRALIA’S ‘SHONKIEST’ PRODUCTS

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