STUBBED OUT
VICTORY FOR RECORD CAMPAIGN Ticketmaster pull the plug on rip-off resale sites in major blow to touts
MUSIC fans were celebrating yesterday after the Daily Record’s Stub Out the Touts campaign won a massive victory.
Industry giants Ticketmaster said they were scrapping their Get Me In! and Seatwave sites that allow rip-off mark-ups to be made on resold tickets.
THE Daily Record yesterday won a major victory over touts after Ticketmaster announced they are pulling the plug on their rip-off resale sites.
The global giants bowed to huge pressure from this newspaper by killing off Get Me In! and Seatwave, admitting that the anger of fed-up fans had driven them to the decision.
It led to calls for their rivals Viagogo and StubHub to follow suit.
Ticketmaster’s climbdown came after more than two years of investigation, which included the Record’s exposure of Britain’s worst supertouts and how they made millions dealing with the toxic sites.
Our campaign, which gathered the support of major acts including Ed Sheeran, Arctic Monkeys and Scots rockers Biffy Clyro, took us to Westminster.
We revealed the murky and lucrative world of the ticket reselling industry to the culture, media and sport select committee and urged them to support capped resale and the shutting down of tout sites.
Perth and North Perthshire MP Pete Wishart chaired a debate in the Commons that nailed the hypocrisy of Ticketmaster’s ownership of Get Me In! and Seatwave.
Speaking after Ticketmaster’s climbdown, he said: “This is a very encouraging development which is a result of the pressure exerted on the primary ticketing organisations.
“Some campaigns are harder than others to win but the Daily Record has been relentless on this issue for two years and this is a hugely significant result.
“While there is still much to do, live music is going to be a little bit harder for the touts to prosper in and that can only be good for fans and artists alike.
“Bit by bit we are reclaiming live music from the touts and profiteers and I will continue to raise this issue in the House of Commons.”
Washington and Sunderland West MP Sharon Hodgson was the first to call for a 10 per cent cap on resale.
She said: “This is something I’ve been campaigning on for almost a decade, along with the Daily Record, who have been relentless on this issue, so I’m pleased to see some movement at long last.
“It’s now time for secondary sites such as Viagogo and StubHub to also clean up their act so that fans can at long last be put first.”
Digital and creative industries minister Margot James welcomed yesterday’s news, saying: “We want real fans to be able to see their favourite artists and events at a fair price.
“This is a welcome move from Ticketmaster and shows that they’re following our lead and taking a tough stance on cracking down on unacceptable behaviour in the secondary ticket market.”
As of yesterday, no new events will be listed on Get Me In! or Seatwave, with both sites beginning a phased closure from October.
By then, a capped, “ethical resale” platform run by Ticketmaster’s rival AEG will be in operation at the O2 and SSE Wembley Arena in London.
Primary sellers Eventim UK’s FanSALE also offer capped resale.
Ticketmaster were the last of the big primary sellers to tackle the problem.
Their tout sites will be replaced by a fan-to-fan exchange system that will enable unwanted tickets to be sold on for face value or less.
However, they will add 15 per cent on top to buyers – more than the 10 per cent charged by AEG and Twickets.
Ticketmaster bought Get Me In! in 2008 and Seatwave in 2014, after originally arguing that the acquisitions would help combat ticket touting.
In a blog post on their main UK site, Ticketmaster told fans: “That’s right, we’ve listened and we hear you – secondary sites just don’t cut it any more and you’re tired of seeing others snap up tickets just to resell for a profit.”
Andrew Parsons, managing director of Ticketmaster UK, said: “Closing down our secondary sites and creating a ticket exchange on Ticketmaster has always been our long-term plan.
“We’re excited to launch our redesigned website which will make buying and selling tickets fast and simple, with all tickets in the same place.”
Adam Webb, spokesman for the FanFair Alliance, who bring together anti-tout figures in the music industry, welcomed the development.
He said: “While enforcement action is still