Anti-touting campaign group FanFair Alliance has released a new guide for artists and managers on how to handle the secondary market.
The information encourages artists, event organisers and venues make sure that their terms and conditions of sale state that tickets are for consumers only to purchase and that audiences are permitted to resell tickets for their price they paid or less, and that a consumer-friendly resale or reallocation mechanism is provided.
Adam Webb, campaign manager, FanFair Alliance, said: “The message from audiences remains pretty clear and consistent. They’re still sick of exploitative online ticket touts, and they expect artists, event organisers and venues to do something about it.
“And here’s the good news: they can. The UK is now leading the way in the fightback against unscrupulous secondary ticketing practices. Artists have been empowered to take action.
“There’s a number of strategies they can pursue, but the no-cost recommendations in this guidance are open to all. As well as disrupting the practices of dedicated touts, our aim is that they will help promote a fairer and more transparent ticketing market.”
Music Managers Forum (MMF), the largest professional community of music managers, has already backed the guidance.
Annabella Coldrick, chief executive of MMF, said: “Artists and their teams now have real power to take back control of their ticket prices by using simple T&Cs and offering consumer-friendly resale to fans. MMF urges all managers to read this guide and use it.”
Despite an increase in the enforcement of consumer protection law, an end to misleading marketing practices and reform of search advertising, YouGov research suggests online ticket touting remains a concern for live music attendees. In an April 2019 survey of more than 4,000 UK adults, 45 per cent said they had attended a gig or festival in the past five years.
Of these live music attendees, 79 per cent agreed with a statement that “too many tickets end up on reselling sites for inflated prices” while 67 per cent agreed that “artists should do more to prevent tickets for their gigs being sold at an inflated price by ticket resellers”.
Alongside the FanFair Alliance guidance, the Society of Ticket Agents & Retailers (STAR) has recently published its own detailed model terms and conditions to help those that wish to restrict the resale or transfer of tickets.
Jonathan Brown, chief executive of STAR, said: “Restrictions on unauthorised ticket resale need to be balanced with an opportunity for consumers to dispose of tickets they are unable to use. Utilising good, authorised resale systems and implementing fair terms and conditions helps to combat unwanted excesses in the secondary ticket market. STAR members are committed to helping promoters and managers ensure that consumers are protected and treated fairly.”
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