Watchdog issues warning over court order

BY MARK McGIVERN Chief Reporter TICKET tour site Viagogo has been accused of contempt for the UK’s competition watchdog by tinkering with its business model instead of complying with the law.

The firm was yesterday warned it will be dragged into court after a revamp of its site left several breaches of UK consumer law.

Ticketing investigator Reg Walker said Viagogo’s strategy involves doing just enough to avoid criminal convictions, inching towards legality rather than fully committing to a court order won by the Competition and Markets Authority last year.

Walker said: “This company has made changes but these merely show the mentality of them, which is determined to keep on breaking the law until they get to the gates of the court, then chuck in a few compromises to win more time to comply fully.

“They will only comply fully if they are charged and dealt with by the court and this is what should happen because they have been given too many chances.”

The CMA last night warned Viagogo it was still not complying with a court order requiring that it improve information displayed about the tickets listed on the site.

Despite time bars designed to put pressure on buyers by creating a false feeling of scarcity being removed, touts are still refusing to detail seat numbers, meaning ethical promoters cannot cancel the tickets when they appear on the site in breach of terms and conditions.

Viagogo claimed it had met the January 18 deadline to comply with the order.

MP Sharon Hodgson, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ticket Abuse, said: “This has been a long time coming. It is only right Viagogo are held to account for their parasitical actions that have ripped off fans for far too many years.”