Declaration against online ticket touts
December 5, 2016
Declaration against online ticket touts
Industrial-scale online ticket touting is ripping off fans. It is also hugely damaging to artists at all levels of their careers and to music businesses across the board.
Because UK consumer law is not currently enforced, touts can act with impunity and under the cloak of anonymity: hacking into online ticketing systems, scalping inventory, inflating prices and profiteering via under-regulated resale sites.
We urgently need Government to address these failings and make legislation effective for the digital age.
It is also imperative that music businesses show leadership and do everything they can to grow the primary market, and to help fans buy or exchange tickets at their face value.
As supporters of the FanFair Alliance we will:
•Take measures that ensure ‘primary’ tickets reach true fans. Fans should pay no more than the original face value price.
• Require that primary ticket sellers take all possible measures to keep inventory away from resale websites that support pricing above face value.
• Require that primary ticket sellers monitor sales ledgers for signs of activity by touts, and cancel those transactions accordingly.
• Support progressive technology that aims to boost primary sales, promote face-value-only ticket exchange or reduce the activities of touts.
• Support pro-consumer legislation that will regulate the practices of secondary ticketing platforms and force them to show corporate responsibility.