[ad_1]
A warning has been issued by the New South Wales consumer regulator over the illegal resale of tickets to live shows.
NSW Fair Trading said on Wednesday it was investigating Viagogo after an increase in consumer complaints, but the notorious ticket dealer was operating as usual 24 hours later – selling tickets to the Hamilton musical in Sydney with a 70% increase on Thursday.
The Viagogo website was also selling tickets for next year’s Kings of Leon concerts in Sydney for $ 215 – compared to $ 150 for the authorized ticket seller; and Kiwi singer Lorde’s Australian tour next March for $ 354 – a 400% markup on the same tickets sold by the tour’s organizer, Frontier.
NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rose Webb said that since live shows reopened in 2021, complaints against Viagogo have started to mount.
“Now that [live] events are back on the agenda, we have seen a spike again despite Viagogo’s explicit warning, ”she said.
“Those in the entertainment industry and the arts have talked about their industry being erased due to Covid and they don’t need the added stress of ticket dealers scalping well-meaning fans.
“We will investigate and use our powers to stop any illegal behavior. “
Sign up to receive the best stories from Guardian Australia every morning
So far, 36 complaints have been received regarding Viagogo in 2021, 16 regarding ticket scalping, 11 regarding cancellation of events that have not been refunded, five regarding customers misleading that they are the authorized seller, three for tickets not timely delivered and one for not providing age restriction advice, a statement from NSW Fair Trading said.
Last year, Viagogo was fined $ 7 million by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for illegal ticketing practices, ranging from reselling tickets with more than 10% mark-up allowed on the original price, on the sale of fake tickets to consumers.
Quick guide
How to get the latest news from Guardian Australia
Show
Viagogo has been approached for comment. The company told AAP that it will remove tickets that do not meet NSW regulations from its platform.
“Viagogo is committed to complying with the law in all of the markets in which we operate, including NSW, and when we are made aware of listings that are not in compliance, we act quickly to remove them,” said a door. -speak.
Source link
