Viagogo sues Ed Sheeran promoter for ticket ‘rip-off ’
TICKET resale website Viagogo is suing ed Sheeran’s promoter over claims fans have been ripped off, the company revealed yesterday.
The pop star’s promoter, Kilimanjaro Live, last year cancelled thousands of tickets sold at inflated prices through the website – and is said to have helped fans claim refunds.
However, the Swiss-based company insists the tickets to see Sheeran, pictured, were genuine and bought lawfully, and that the promoter had no right to claim it could cancel them.
It comes after Viagogo agreed to scrap hidden charges following a string of investigations into its tactics by the Daily Mail.
It is currently the subject of legal action by the Competition and Markets Authority for several breaches of consumer law. The development also comes ahead of an inquiry into the ticket resale industry by MPs on the Commons culture select committee today.
Viagogo has accused Kilimanjaro Live’s chief executive Stuart Galbraith of ‘ confiscating thousands of genuine tickets, forcing fans to buy new tickets, and pocketing millions in duplicate sales’. It has launched a legal case against him in Germany.
A Viagogo spokesman said: ‘ All tickets on Viagogo are authentic. Stuart Galbraith... conned our customers into believing that their tickets wouldn’t work. ‘ Until recently, Galbraith regularly used Viagogo to sell thousands of tickets to a range of his artists’ events.
‘Following a dispute over his request for preferred terms he threatened that he would use his artists, such as ed Sheeran and the red Hot Chili Peppers, to put pressure on Viagogo even if it meant causing huge inconvenience to fans.
‘We have Stuart on record saying that his artists would “do whatever he told them to do” and that he would go to any lengths to cause chaos for Viagogo customers.’
The company claims to have photographic and filmed evidence, plus witness statements, to back up its allegations.
Mr Galbraith said yesterday that he was unaware of the legal case. He is expected to reject the allegations when he gives evidence to MPs today. His spokesman described Viagogo’s claims as ‘ludicrous’, ‘laughable’ and ‘totally false’.
The culture committee evidence session is likely to become heated as witnesses are also expected to include senior Viagogo executive Christopher Miller, who will be challenged to substantiate the firm’s claims.