Viagogo bosses snub MPs’ ticket ‘rip-off ’ inquiry
‘Not a reputable company’
MPS have condemned Viagogo as ‘disrespectful’ after it refused to attend a Commons hearing into ticket rip-offs yesterday.
The culture select committee accused the rogue ticket reseller of evasion and warned the public to avoid using its services because it ‘is not a reputable company’.
The country’s biggest ticket resale website has come under fire for letting touts sell secondhand tickets for music and sporting events at inflated prices and taking advantage of consumers.
Yesterday its head of business, Christopher Miller, refused to turn up to the Commons to be grilled over the company’s activities and alleged failures to abide by consumer protection laws.
MPs were also expected to ask Mr Miller whether the firm is being advised by former Labour Cabinet minister Lord Mandelson, who chairs a business consultancy service called Global Counsel.
The peer has previously given damage limitation advice and coaching to company bosses due to appear before a Commons committee, including former Barclays chief Bob Diamond. Last night neither Viagogo nor the highly secretive Global Counsel responded to questions about whether they are working together.
Viagogo is being taken to court by the Competition and Markets Authority over alleged breaches of consumer law, including failing to warn customers there is a risk they will be turned away from events if they have bought tickets from a non-approved business.
The firm is also accused of failing to inform ticket buyers which seat they will get, who is selling their ticket and whether they have a legal right to refunds.
There are suspicions that some sellers on the site do not even have the tickets they are offering, leaving purchasers out of pocket and unable to get into events.
Viagogo wrote to the digital, culture, media and sport select committee at 11pm on Tuesday to say Mr Miller would not attend.
It claimed the CMA’s court case meant he was unable to give evidence as the issues were sub judice. Committee chairman Damian Collins rejected this as a smokescreen designed to avoid being held to account.
He told MPs: ‘We have taken advice from the CMA and in-house legal services at the House of Commons. The CMA case is not sub judice … and there is no reason why they should not appear as witnesses in front of the committee.
‘The reason, I believe, they have chosen not to do that is because they are concerned about incriminating themselves by anything they may say.
‘The basis on which select committees work is that people are invited to come and tell the truth and, if you have got nothing to hide, the truth will do you no harm. Viagogo has decided not to come and answer our questions.
‘This sits as part of a pattern of evasion on their behalf. It is disrespectful to the House. It is even more disrespectful to the custom- ers who have been the victims of Viagogo over so many years.’ He warned the public: ‘The message that comes from today’s hearing … is that if you want to be safe when buying tickets online, do not buy them from Viagogo – it is not a reputable company.’
The firm’s letter to MPs was signed by Prabhat Shah, who is listed as a director. He said the company was ‘disappointed’ not to be able to attend.
At yesterday’s hearing, a series of industry leaders and consumer campaigners variously described Viagogo as a rogue, a disgrace and a boil that needed to be lanced.