Official agency Ticketmaster has defended its position after the resale value of some tickets for the Big Bash Twenty20 cricket tournament in Australia sparked controversy in Queensland.
Adult seats for the Brisbane Heat game against the Hobart Hurricanes at the Gabba over the Christmas period originally sold for AUS$40 (£24/$29/€28) through Ticketmaster. However, once the game sold out, those tickets were soon being offered for three times face value, at $113, on the Ticketmaster Resale website.
Such a mark-up is illegal under Queensland’s anti-scalping laws, with tickets to Stadiums Queensland events only to be resold at a maximum 10 per cent above their original price.
According to the AAP news agency, a government spokesperson said public complaints could be investigated by the Office of Fair Trading and may be a matter for the police.
However, while Ticketmaster Resale is a subsidiary of Ticketmaster, the company said it is the individual seller rather than platform that is responsible for the sale price.
“Ticketing marketplaces are dynamic and react to demand,” a Ticketmaster spokesperson told AAP.
“With high-profile events such as BBL at the Gabba, tickets are sometimes listed at prices higher than the face value, but they will often be listed at or below face value as well.
“Ticket holders, not Ticketmaster Resale, control the inventory and the price of the tickets.”
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