Victory for the Mail as ticket tout site Viagogo axes hidden fees
Why is Viagogo still getting off? away with ripping people
ROGUE ticket reseller Viagogo has been forced to stop hitting customers with hidden charges such as booking fees and VAT.
It will now give those buying tickets for music and sporting events a single price covering all charges.
The firm caved in to pressure from the Advertising Standards Authority, which had referred it to National Trading Standards for an inquiry into its use of misleading prices.
It represents a victory for the Daily Mail, which has highlighted how websites that sell secondhand tickets take advantage of fans’ loyalty to charge two or three times their face value.
The ASA action coincided with complaints from artists such as Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, the Arctic Monkeys and Adele over the unscrupulous practices used by resale firms.
Viagogo’s decision to change the way it presents its prices means the trading standards investigation has been halted. But it still faces High Court proceedings launched by the Competition and Markets Authority over several other alleged breaches of consumer law.
These include failing to warn people there is a risk they will be turned away at the door if they have bought tickets from a non-approved business.
The firm is also accused of failing to inform ticket buyers which seat they will get, who is selling their ticket and whether they have a legal right to refunds.
The competitions watchdog is also concerned that those using Viagogo are being given misleading information about the availability and popularity of tickets, which has the potential to rush them into making a purchase.
It has also been claimed that some sellers on the site do not even have the tickets they are offering, leaving purchasers out of pocket and unable to get in.
The CMA is seeking an interim order to put a stop to at least some misleading practices before a full trial.
The ASA said that as a result of its work, Viagogo’s ‘pricing information will now be made clear with one single price, containing
From the Mail, April 18 both VAT and the compulsory booking fee, quoted upfront’, meaning that ‘consumers aren’t misled’.
The watchdog added it is ‘now satisfied that Viagogo’s pricing information follows the advertising rules’.
It said the withdrawal of its referral of Viagogo to National Trading Standards does not affect the CMA’s legal action.
CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli said: ‘People who buy tickets on websites like Viagogo must be given all the information they are entitled to… including what seat they will get and whether there is a risk they might not get into the event.
‘This applies to Viagogo as much as to any other secondary ticketing website. Unfortunately, while other businesses have agreed to overhaul their sites to ensure they respect the law, Viagogo has not.
‘We will now be pursuing action through the courts to ensure they comply with the law.’
Viagogo, which was founded in London in 2005 and now has its head office in Geneva, said it was ‘disappointed’ with the CMA’s approach but ‘remains committed to reaching resolution through the legal process’.