UK Competition And Markets Authority Launches Court Actions Against Viagogo

– The UK Competition and Markets Authority
Stubhub, Seatwave and GetMeIn! have listened to CMA

The UK’s Competition And Markets Authority (CMA) has made good on its threat to take Viagogo to court, should it not comply with the regulator’s demand to change its business practices

Since last November, the UK’s Competition And Markets Authority (CMA) has been on the case of the UK’s four major ticket resale sites, demanding they make changes to their websites in order to get in line with UK consumer law.

Two of those sites, Seatwave and GetMeIn! are no longer operating, since Ticketmaster pulled the plug on them.

Stubhub did comply with the CMA demands, but Viagogo failed to react. “Legal proceedings have therefore been brought in the High Court,” a statement from CMA reads.

The regulatory body is concerned that Viagogo is breaking consumers law by not telling customers that there’s risk of being turned away at the door, not informing them about their exact seats they would occupy in the venue, not disclosing the actual seller’s business details, which reduces legal options in case of bad business practices.

CMA also accuses Viagogo of giving misleading information about the availability and popularity of tickets, failing to inform customers about their face value, forcing fans to make rushed decisions, not always honoring the guarantees it gives customers, and offering tickets that a seller doesn’t even own, so-called spec selling.

CMA is seeking a court order “that will bring these practices to an end,” according to a statement released by the regulatory body.

“Given the importance of ensuring its concerns are addressed promptly, the CMA is also seeking an interim enforcement order from the court that, if successful, will put a stop to some practices in the period up until the full trial,” the statement continues

Andrea Coscelli, CMA Chief Executive Officer, said: “People who buy tickets on websites like Viagogo must be given all the information they are entitled to. It’s imperative they know key facts, including what seat they will get and whether there is a risk they might not actually get into the event, before parting with their hard-earned money.

“This applies to Viagogo as much as it does to any other secondary ticketing website. Unfortunately, while other businesses have agreed to overhaul their sites to ensure they respect the law, Viagogo has not. We will now be pursuing action through the courts to ensure that they comply with the law.”

The news comes shortly after Viagogo reportedly moved its UK workforce to the U.S., just as the legal pressure in Europe mounts. Legal action, formal complaints against or investigations into the ticket reseller have been launched in several countries, including Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain.