Industry News

Almost half of Brits want ticket resale sites ban – YouGov survey

Ticket reselling sites should be banned in the view of nearly half of UK consumers, according to a new YouGov survey.

Some 48 per cent of those polled said secondary sites should be outlawed, while 51 per cent of the public do not believe the current system of ticket buying and distribution is working and that the Government should intervene.

Around 18 per cent said that the system does work, and are of the opinion that high prices for major sports events and concerts by popular bands simply reflect demand.

Despite negative attitudes towards secondary ticketing, the report revealed an acceptance among the ticket-buying public that the secondary market “will always exist”, with 47 per cent agreeing that illegal touting would grow if there was a cap on how much tickets could be sold for. It also showed that one in 10 consumers have used a ticket re-selling site.

YouGov interviewed 1,081 British adults in April, the month before Parliament passed the Digital Economy Bill, which seeks to prohibit scalping and the use of bots.

Oliver Griffiths, of YouGov Reports, said: “For many fans, the chance to see their favourite music artist or sports idol is one they are willing to go to great lengths to achieve – and this can often mean paying inflated prices to do so.

“However, ticket re-selling sites have increasingly been in the headlines, with the principles of those sites under the microscope.

“Our research points to a significant proportion of people that are uncomfortable with the current state of affairs but whether steps are taken in future to limit their capabilities remains to be seen.”

Impulsive purchases

YouGov profiling data suggests that those using ticket reselling sites are most likely to be male and aged 18 to 34, and “tend to make impulsive purchases”.

Among users of resale sites, 34 per cent purchased tickets that were more than face value while 14 per cent bought tickets for at least double the original price.

The results are further evidence that “the secondary ticketing market continues to be a vehicle for ticketing companies to further profit from genuine fans,” according to Luke Massie, founder and managing director at Manchester-based Vibe Tickets, which describes itself as a “transparent marketplace app”.

Massie said: “The bulk buying and resale of tickets for hugely inflated prices is distorting the market, meaning that fans are forced to pay through the nose, while believing this is due to supply and demand.

“People deserve to pay a fair price for live events tickets and know exactly who they are buying from. The lack of transparency in the secondary ticketing market has created a toxic and unfair environment, so we agree with consumers that those responsible for this should be banned.

“Change is only going to result from a transparent and people-powered marketplace.”

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