FanFair Alliance says intervention into the secondary ticketing market is “urgently” needed in the wake of allegations that Robbie Williams’ management company directly placed tickets on resale sites.
The anti-touting campaign group, which is made up of parties from throughout the music industry, told TickTechNews that artists and their managerial teams have a “responsibility” towards fans.
Fanfair Alliance would not comment directly on ie:music, which, according to the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show, placed Robbie Williams tickets on resale sites at a mark-up on face value price, but the group said that while Government action is required, the music industry itself also has a major role to play.
The FanFair Declaration, which has been signed by artists such as Ed Sheeran and major ticket operators, asks that its supporters take five actions to ensure face value tickets reach fans, as well as measures to disrupt the practices of online ticket touts. FanFair supports exchange or resale of tickets for face value.
“The utter lack of transparency in the so-called secondary ticketing market is hugely confusing for fans,” said a Fanfair Alliance spokesperson. “This was a key issue raised by the Culture Media & Sport select committee last year, as were concerns about a primary ticketing company running a parallel for-profit resale business.
“We urgently need Government intervention to ensure existing laws are enforced and audiences are protected.
“The music business also has a responsibility here, and an increasing majority of managers and artists are taking active steps to mitigate ticket touting and prevent fans being ripped off. In September last year, FanFair published a guide offering tips and advice to ensure tickets are sold at face value, and support for our campaign is fast gaining momentum.”
FanFair was established in July 2016 “to coalesce the growing number of industry voices wishing to take a stand against industrial-scale online ticket touting across the secondary ticketing platforms Get Me In!, Seatwave, StubHub and Viagogo”. The four firms and the wider industry are now the subject of a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation.
FanFair seeks to promote strategies that will support pro-consumer legislation, grow the primary market and help ensure face value tickets reach the hands of genuine fans.
Other Declaration signatories include Arctic Monkeys, Iron Maiden, Noel Gallagher and PJ Harvey. Ticket sites See Tickets, The Ticket Factory, SongKick, Dice, WeGotTickets, Twickets, MusicGlue and Billetto have also added their names to the Declaration.