Viagogo ticked off by watchdog

The competition watchdog has warned ticketing website Viagogo that it faces court action unless it “promptly” resolves concerns about the information it gives to customers.

Stubhub, Getmein! and Seatwave have all formally committed to providing better information about tickets being resold through their platforms, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said.

The sites have promised to make it clear if there is a risk a customer might be turned away at the door, which seat they will get and who is selling the ticket, for the buyer to receive better legal protection if the seller is a business.

The three platforms have agreed to make it mandatory for sellers to provide this information when listing a ticket, routinely carry out their own checks on primary ticket sellers’ websites about resale restrictions, and act promptly if event organisers tell them information is missing.

However, the CMA said Viagogo had not yet agreed to make these changes and had been notified that the regulator will take court action unless it “promptly commits to satisfactorily addressing its concerns”.

Michael Grenfell, the CMA’S executive director for enforcement, said: “We welcome the changes already made and new commitments we’ve been given by Stubhub, Seatwave and Getmein! to improve the information on offer, so that people can better judge whether they’re getting a good deal.”