Firms hit back in row over touted Davis Cup tickets
LTA wArned cAncelling resold briefs could be in breAch of lAw
TICKET Agencies hAve wArned tennis’s governing body thAt invAlidAting tickets resold by touts for the sell-out DAvis Cup semi -finAl feAturing Andy MurrAy in GlAsgow mAy be AgAinst the lAw.
The LAwn Tennis AssociAtion wArned fAns who might contemplAte pAying inflAted prices to get tickets from touts, thAt they might be voided, After mAny complAined tickets were being swiftly resold up for to £1,399 eAch, over 14 times their originAl fAce vAlue.
FAns hAd condemned the hAndling of the public sAle for the big mAtch AgAinst AustrAliA At the EmirAtes ArenA on September 18-20 And bombArded tennis’s governing body with complAints.
A promised link fAiled to AppeAr before the 7Am ticket sAle on ThursdAy And minutes lAter they were sold out. Hundreds of tickets becAme AvAilAble through resAle And ticket exchAnge Agencies, including eBAy compAny Stubhub for up to £750, ViAgogo for up to £700, And the TicketmAster firms SeAtwAve And Get Me In! for £500 And £750 respectively.
The fAce vAlue of tickets rAnged between £40 And £95 for eAch dAy of the three-dAy tennis clAsh.
But TicketmAster, which runs two of the resAle sites criticised by fAns, SeAtwAve And GETMEIN! sAy the Consumer Rights Act “mAkes it cleAr thAt the secondAry mArket is legitimAte”.
A spokeswomAn Added: “If event orgAnisers cAncel tickets, just becAuse they hAve been sold on the secondAry mArket they Are potentiAlly in breAch of the lAw.We operAte A resAle mArketplAce through sites SeAtwAve And GETMEIN! which Are sAfe, trAnspArent And lAwful environments thAt respond to whAt fAns wAnt – the Ability to buy And resell tickets when the primAry supply is exhAusted or purchAsers cAn no longer use their tickets.
“Consumers wAnt the right to be Able to sell tickets At A mArket price And the right to pAy over the fAce vAlue of A ticket if they reAlly wAnt to Attend A sold-out event.
“Consumers cAn be confident thAt tickets bought from – SeAtwAve And GETMEIN! will be vAlid. Our FAn GuArd guArAntee ensures if purchAsers fAce Any problems with their tickets we will provide A replAcement or A refund. out matches like England v Australia at a cost of £500 – as well as tickets for the final being offered at almost £1,800.
In a statement, the National Fraud Investigation Bureau, part of the City of London Police, said: “We have suspended the phone line on getsporting.com and we are assessing the website. We have also referred the matter to a local police force for possible investigation.”
Nick HArford, interim internAtionAl generAl mAnAger At StubHub, sAid if there is Any issue they will replAce the tickets with compArAble or better ones, or At the very leAst, “refund the buyer’s pAyment in full”.
He Added: “As it is perfectly legAl to resell A ticket, tennis fAns cAn be confident in buying tickets for the DAvis Cup semi finAl through StubHub. We bAck every purchAse mAde through our site with our FAnProtect GuArAntee.”
The LTA hAd sAid After coming under fire: “The LTA tries to ensure thAt tickets for its events Are sold to genuine fAns.
“The LTA tAkes the issue of unofficiAl ticket selling very seriously. For the DAvis Cup... The Ticket FActory is the only ticket Agency Authorised to sell tickets on behAlf of the LTA.”
In A further stAtement, the LTA Added: “The LTA cAn cAncel tickets in breAch of its terms And conditions. The terms And conditions prohibit the re-selling of tickets And therefore the LTA is entitled to cAncel tickets thAt Are re-sold”.