Ticket website referred to Trading Standards over pricing

THE ADVERTISING watchdog has referred secondary ticketing website Viagogo to Trading Standards for its failure to make changes to misleading pricing information on its website.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said Viagogo was continuing to mislead consumers by not being upfront and clear about additional booking fees and delivery charges added at the end of the booking process.

The Geneva-based firm was one of four which were subject to ASA action in March after a clampdown on “misleading” pricing information.

StubHub, Seatwave and GetMeIn were the other three companies subject to the action against so-called “drip pricing” – in which VAT, booking and delivery fees were added at the end of the booking process.

However, the ASA said Viagogo failed to meet its May 29 deadline to make the necessary changes to its website. It added: “The ASA is not satisfied that Viagogo has brought its website in line with the advertising rules.

“The ASA made clear to Viagogo that if changes were not made it would consider imposing further sanctions, including referring them to its legal backstop power, National Trading Standards, for consideration of statutory sanctions which can involve prosecution and fines.”

In January, The Yorkshire Post revealed that Viagogo was among resale websites offering tickets to sold-out concerts in Yorkshire with huge mark-ups.

At the time, Viagogo was advertising tickets to see comedians The League of Gentlemen at Sheffield City Hall for between £79 and £122 – far above the face-value price of £39.20.

The most expensive of these could only actually be bought for £166 each once further fees including a £2 handling cost and £42 of VAT and booking fee were added on.

The full price could only be viewed after providing the site with personal details, with warnings repeatedly flashing up that the tickets may be lost to other bidders if not purchased within minutes.

The Yorkshire Post contacted Viagogo for comment on the ASA referral.

According to the ASA, the organisation said “each ticket home page contained the text ‘prices exclude booking and delivery fees (applicable by transaction)’, and therefore at the first stage of the customer journey, consumers were informed that the prices displayed did not include additional booking and delivery fees”.