Industry News

NSW unveils plans to cap ticket resale fees at 10%

The New South Wales (NSW) government has announced plans to cap the price of resold tickets at 10 per cent, in a move that could redefine the secondary ticketing sector in Australia.

In changes to the Fair Trading Act outlined by the state’s Minister for Better Regulation, Matthew Kean, resellers would not be able to offer tickets for more than the original sale price, while transaction costs would be capped at 10 per cent.

The announcement came after months of protests in Australia about ticket scalping, and consumer group, Choice, in August said there is a “need for urgent reform in the industry.”

Viagogo is already facing federal court charges brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commissions (ACCC) over alleged misleading representations and huge booking fees.

In announcing the new legislation in NSW, Kean said: “I’m sick and tired of consumers being taken for a ride by shonky operators looking to make a quick buck at the expense of ordinary fans.”

Other proposed changes to the Fair Trading Act include the outlawing of ‘bots’ and a crackdown on advertising for tickets that breach resale laws.

Choice said the reforms were only the first step in cleaning up the “utter shambles” in the resale industry and called on ticketing companies to do more.

“The primary ticketing market needs to step up and invest in innovations to reduce fraud within the industry,” Choice spokesman Tom Godfrey said in a statement.

Godfrey suggested allowing name changes on tickets or developing better ticketing systems would be a “strong first step”.