Your card’s marked

Campaigners call for Sainsbury’s boycott over links to rogue ticket site

CAMPAIGNERS have launched a boycott of Sainsbury’s in protest at the supermarket giants’ association with rogue ticket firm Viagogo.

The Victims of Viagogo campaign group represent hundeds of music and sports fans who were ripped off after using the pariah site, who routinely break consumer laws as they make supertouts rich.

Organiser Claire Turnham whipped up support for a boycott after learning of Viagogo’s links with Nectar, the loyalty points card owned in full by Sainsbury’s.

Claire wrote to their chief executive Mike Coupe voicing her disgust, telling him: “I am aware of over 5000 distressed people reaching out to us for support and who all feel they have been ripped off by this ‘murky’ secondary ticketing company. Many of these are your customers also.

“I have now discovered your close connection to Viagogo via your ownership and promotion of Nectar card and am deeply dismayed.

“We trust you will act with integrity to protect and prioritise the welfare of your customers by ending your relationship with Viagogo immediately.

“In the meantime, we can no longer support Sainsbury’s or any company associated with Nectar who support Viagogo.” Claire, who last week won an Amnesty International Award for her campaigning, appeared at the same evidence session on ticket abuse at the parliament in Westminster as the Daily Record. Nectar was launched in 2002 with four partner companies and by 2010 had grown to include 14 companies and 400 online retailers. It was bought by Sainsbury’s last month.