CLOSURE OF TICKETMASTER RE-SALE SITES WELCOMED

Having campaigned on this issue for months, Patricia Gibson MP has welcomed the news that Ticketmaster is closing its secondary ticketing websites Seatwave and Get Me In, from October, in a bid to combat touts. The websites allow people to offload unwanted tickets and have frequently been exploited by so-called "professional sellers” in other words “touts” who hike up the prices. Patricia Gibson, SNP Consumer Affairs spokesperson, has campaigned against ticket touts who force genuine fans, desperate to see their favourite performers and shows, to fork out hugely inflated prices. Commenting Patricia said: “This is a welcome move by Ticketmaster which will help prevent touts ripping off ordinary consumers, and making huge profits at their expense. “The UK Government must now act to deter and prevent this kind of profiteering across the board. They need to cap the resale value of tickets, and introduce further measures to restrict access to the software that touts are using to harvest swathes of tickets to resell. “When consumers do purchase tickets from touts, it is vital that they make fully informed choices. “Secondary ticketing platforms and sellers must comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and provide essential information such as the face value of the ticket, seat location, and any viewing or other restrictions. “Too many consumers are currently being exploited with tickets for events grabbed up by touts within minutes and then resold at sky-high rates. While Ticketmaster is taking a step in the right direction, more can be done to protect consumers and put an end to this abuse of the ticketing system.” ENDS