New Zealand ministers have refused to become involved in public arguments over secondary ticketing after Ladyhawke, one of the country’s most popular singer-songwriters, described the sector as “definitely unfair”.
1News reported outrage after tickets for pop star Lorde’s tour in November sold out in minutes yesterday, but were soon found online being touted for NZ$3,700 (£2,100/€2,400/$2,700) for eight tickets. 1News said the seller was due to profit by more than NZ$2,900.
Ladyhawke told 1News via Twitter: “It’s definitely unfair if fans of an artist miss out on tickets because people just looking to make a buck get in quick, and buy loads, then sell for way more.”
While Minister of Consumer Affairs Jacqui Dean said she is focused on ensuring consumers like ticket buyers are not being misled or deceived while buying the tickets, she said the practice of scalping is not her domain.
“Any concerns around automatic buying of tickets is an issue for the distributer and promoters of events,” she said in a statement. “They have choices as to how they sell the tickets to their events.”
Under the Major Events Management Act 2007, the Economic Development Minister and the Governor General can designate certain events that have national significance to make it illegal to inflate prices higher than their face value for such events.
Image: Eva Rinaldi
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