Tout of time
Clock ticking on rogue ticket site Viagogo as fair sales deadline looms
BY MARK McGIVERN Chief Reporter ROGUE ticket traders Viagogo have until midnight tomorrow to comply with a court order designed to protect fans.
The secondary sales platform were given an ultimatum in November that forces them to make the resale of concert and sports tickets more transparent and fair.
But campaigners have voiced concerns they won’t toe the line – which could leave directors of the company open to personal penalties, including jail terms.
There are fears that the Switzerland-based firm, who were taken to the High Court in London by the Competition and Markets Authority, may short change consumers by failing to comply with the spirit of the order.
Among other measures, the ruling forces Viagogo to tell customers:
the exact seat number of a ticket
the price of a ticket, plus fees, from the outset
whether the seller is a tout – known to sell more than 100 briefs a year.
Victim of Viagogo founder Claire Turnham – who was awarded an MBE for her campaign against the site – said she did not hold out much hope they would meet their obligations.
She said: “So far we are not seeing any consistent or clear changes which help me feel confident that, by Friday, the Viagogo site will be compliant.
“Some of our Victim of Viagogo group have not been refunded with valid claims and should have been under the review.”
She added: “If the site are going to suddenly appear compliant as if by magic, then it seems likely changes will have to be made at the very last minute.”