Ticket to Rights

Following an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) investigation into ticketing abuse earlier in the year, a new clause to the Consumer Rights Bill is aiming to increase transparency about sellers in the event ticket resale market.

Proposed last week in the House of Lords, the provisions would result in sellers on secondary ticketing platforms including Seatwave and Viagogo having to prominently disclose key facts to potential customers. These include the sellers identity, the original face value and other details of the ticket being sold, and if organisers have the right to cancel the ticket if they discover it has been sold.

Liberal Democrat Peer and signatory to the new clause, Lord Tim Clement-Jones, said: “This is a victory both for the ticket-buying public and for the hugely important live event industry. The Police and the entertainment industry have been clear that action needs to be taken on ticket touts to ensure that genuine fans can get access to gigs, shows and games without having to pay extortionate prices, and these new measures would do exactly that”.

Conservative Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ticket Abuse Mike Weatherley MP added: “It’s been clear for a long time that this market is not working in the interest of genuine fans or the people who put in all the hard work and investment to put on live events. Anyone operating honestly has nothing to fear from these changes, but they will make a big difference for ordinary fans. It’s imperative that the Government doesn’t try to reverse this amendment when the Bill comes back to the Commons”.