LONDON — Ticketmaster will provide fans with advance information around ticket prices, it was announced Thursday (Sept. 25) following a lengthy investigation by the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The investigation was sparked by the Oasis reunion tour ticket sale which left fans with complaints over the sale process.
The ruling by the consumer watchdog comes after Ticketmaster was threatened with the possibility of legal action by the CMA in July, after it found that it “may have misled” fans with unclear pricing.
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However Ticketmaster has now agreed to tell fans 24 hours in advance if a tiered pricing system is being used, and give clearer information about ticket prices during online queues.
Fans during the Oasis reunion ticket sale process complained of purchasing platinum tickets for almost two-and-a-half times the standard price, without any explanation of what extra benefits they would receive. The CMA said that Ticketmaster must “not give the impression that one ticket is better than another when that is not the case.”
Ticketmaster will now have to regularly report to the CMA over the next two years to ensure it is adhering to the new compliance. “Fans who spend their hard-earned money to see artists they love deserve to see clear, accurate information, upfront,” said CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell. “If Ticketmaster fails to deliver on these changes, we won’t hesitate to take further action.”
In its findings, the CMA added that it found no such evidence that Ticketmaster used so-called ‘dynamic pricing’ for the ticket prices, which uses an algorithmic pricing model based on demand.
A spokesperson for Ticketmaster said: “We welcome the CMA’s confirmation that there was no dynamic pricing, no unfair practices and that we did not breach consumer law. To further improve the customer experience, we’ve voluntarily committed to clearer communication about ticket prices in queues. This builds on our capped resale, strong bot protection, and clear pricing displays – and we encourage the CMA to hold the entire industry to these same standards.”
Oasis announced a run of 17 U.K. and Ireland concerts for their Live 25 tour last August, before expanding the run globally. Following outcry from fans over long waits for tickets due to incredible demand, the group added an additional two shows at London’s Wembley Stadium, scheduled to take place this coming weekend (Sept. 27, 28), and said that it was “a small step towards making amends for the situation” The tour concludes in São Paulo, Brazil on Nov. 23.
