The competition watchdog has launched an investigation into Ticketmaster’s Oasis gigs sale and is calling for evidence from fans.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it would look into concerns over how so-called ‘dynamic pricing’ may have been used to see if fans were put under pressure to buy tickets in a short period of time – at an inflated price.
In addition, investigators will assess if buyers were given clear and timely information, and whether consumer protection law was breached.
Ticketmaster has said it does not set concert prices and its website states this is down to the “event organiser” who “has priced these tickets according to their market value”.
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “It’s important that fans are treated fairly when they buy tickets, which is why we’ve launched this investigation.
“It’s clear that many people felt they had a bad experience and were surprised by the price of their tickets at check-out.
“We want to hear from fans who went through the process and may have encountered issues so that we can investigate whether existing consumer protection law has been breached.”
The CMA said it would now engage with Ticketmaster and gather evidence from various other sources, which may include the band’s management and event organisers.
It warned that no one should assume that Ticketmaster had broken consumer protection law and invited fans to provide their evidence on its website and, where possible, upload any screenshots taken during the buying process.
Noel and Liam Gallagher pictured a Wembley Stadium in 2008. Pic: Zak Hussein/PA
Dynamic pricing, which saw standard tickets for the reunion tour worth just under £150 being sold for more than £350 on Ticketmaster, was “not in itself unlawful”, the authority said.
But businesses “must not mislead customers about their prices, and must be transparent about how prices are set”.
On Wednesday, Oasis announced they would play two more dates at Wembley Stadium next September as part of next year’s Live ’25 tour with tickets sold by a ballot which will be opened first to fans who were unsuccessful in the initial sale.
The band said the approach had been devised “as a small step towards making amends for the situation”.
Both Noel and Liam Gallagher, as well as Ticketmaster, came under fire over the initial release, after fans spent hours in virtual queues and some tickets ended up costing more than double due to “in demand” pricing for the reunion tour.
Amid the backlash over prices, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy promised a government review and the European Commission also said it would examine the issue.
The frenzy for tickets for the initial shows started way before they went on sale at 9am (8am for two gigs in Dublin) on Saturday, as Manchester-based promoter SJM Concerts’ website Gigs and Tours, Ticketmaster and See Tickets all told website visitors they would need to wait for the page to refresh to join a queue.
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Fans found tickets with a face value of £148 being offered at £355 under the dynamic pricing model which can raise costs in the event of high demand and limited supply.
Others felt angry and disappointed after being left empty-handed, having waited in an online queue for hours to buy tickets.
Ticketmaster has said it does not set prices and its website says this is down to the “event organiser” who had “priced these tickets according to their market value”.
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Source Agencies
