Ticketing site proves a failure to event fans

AUSTRALIAN eventgoers are being urged to avoid online ticketing site Viagogo following a string of complaints.

The Queensland, NSW and ACT governments have issued warnings about the Swissbased company after people claimed they were sent fake tickets, those with incorrect names, or in some instances did not receive them at all. Others reported delayed delivery, cancelled events, marked- up prices, hidden fees and a failure to provide refunds.

About 250 people across Australia are believed to have been affected by the online reseller.

NSW Fair Trading confirmed yesterday it had received 187 complaints and 237 inquiries, while 43 had been registered in Queensland in the past 12 months. A handful of complaints have been recorded in the ACT.

Impacted customers had bought tickets to a variety of events, including Adele, Midnight Oil, State of Origin and the Jeff Horn boxing bout.

NSW Better Regulation Minister Matt Kean said it was estimated about 600 consumers across the state had lost about $ 130,000.

“This is simply not good enough; when consumers buy a product they rightly expect to get what they pay for,” he said in a statement.

Mr Kean said NSW Fair Trading made about 200 attempts to contact Viagogo, which went mostly unanswered until notice about the public warning was given.

“Viagogo says it will be more responsive in future; however, consumers should read all conditions carefully and make credit card payments so they can claim a chargeback if necessary,” he said.

Queensland Attorney- General Yvette D’Ath said Viagogo had “refused to engage” with the state’s fair trading department and made no attempt to resolve complaints.

Ms D’Ath said consumers should also be wary of tickets for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games being advertised on the site.