And who is Sofia Wagner? The Scottish indie band Arab Strap said: Weve always been appalled by touting. Is Stubhub Reliable? This was a birthday treat and I\u2019m now concerned that I can even get in the event after reading some of the other reviews. This story is flagrantly wrong. ticket vendors worldwide as they take pride in their competitive prices, With that said, it would not take much for Viagogo to improve their customer support (and do away with the awful queue system) and be considered a reputable reseller. Naturellement le placement dans la salle de spectacle . All of these search features make Viagogo a Or, to put it another way, viagogos single biggest supplier was committing a mass-scale multimillion pound fraud and selling tickets they didnt possess. Regulations on ticket resale are finally being enforced, touts have been imprisoned for unlawfully acquiring tickets, more artists are successfully adopting anti-touting strategies, and theres a market shift underway to mobile-only tickets. When announcing the merger in November 2019, viagogo stated the acquisition of StubHub was paid for in cash. Simple Ways to Contact Viagogo: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow Events and Ticketing Expert LTD proved to be similarly fictitious then it would lead to a fairly obvious conclusion: viagogos business model runs on thin air. with you that doesnt meet the age requirement, then you will be turned away, For 2 years -really!!!! I strongly suspect that this context explains viagogos dogged support of phantom sellers like the Ryan & Jacob Corporation. Viagogo now claimed it was called the Ryan & Jacob Corporation, and based on 6th Avenue in New York. Why are Viagogo tickets so expensive? - Quora That said, if you wanted the really good seats, they were 1500 each. legitimate ticket in time for the event. Those points are subject to inflation, too. Viagogo should be the subject of a full criminal investigation.. Something GES SL appeared to be doing systematically . Privacy Policy. reliable customer support, and ticket guarantee. However, if our regulator is genuinely unable to act on the evidence weve provided, then surely they should reach out to another agency that will or simply refer these serious allegations to the Police. It is great for getting tickets to high profile events, but you will be paying above face value for your tickets as a result. This review hopes to offer an impartial spotlight on the largest online ticket marketplace, so that you can stay informed with the best vendors available. A much-debated ban on domestic flights within France will finally be rolled out in 2023. The pattern of these listings combined with evidence from test purchases, indicate Viagogo may be complicit in a multimillion-pound global fraud, said Adam Webb of FanFair Alliance, a music industry group backed by managers of artists such as Arctic Monkeys and One Direction. Yet if you see a deal, jump on it. Shari uncovered what appeared to be a premeditated pattern of cloned and speculative listings by all three sellers. To allay these competition concerns, viagogo was instructed by the CMA in February 2021 to divest itself of the StubHub business outside of North America (aka StubHub International) in order for the merger to complete. There seem to be a few questions of whether or not Viagogo, if Viagogo is selling fake tickets, and if Viagogo offers help to their customers. This could cause them to end up lowering the price to something PURE SPECULATION: WHY IS VIAGOGO LISTING THOUSANDS OF NON - Medium The original face value was 18 each but I found Id been charged 1,772 for the three [after fees were added to the sellers new asking price]. If this is the true state of affairs, then the whole sorry saga raises a bunch of uncomfortable questions, not only for viagogo who, under Section 92 of the UKs Consumer Rights Act, are duty bound to report criminal activity (such as fraud) to the police but also for investors, regulators and enforcement agencies. If the date of your event is too near, it may not allow secure delivery When Your Event is Canceled or Postponed Visit Website Write Your review Tell us how It has been said that whenever you pick an event you plan to attend you will immediately be met with scare tactics through the entire purchase process. Ticket reselling works on the basis of having a middle-man involved in your transaction. to your regional location in order to find the tickets that you are looking for Sharon Hodgson, the Labour MP who co-chairs a cross-party group investigating ticket abuse, said: It shouldnt be for campaign groups, artists, venues or promoters to monitor a secondary ticketing website to ensure that it is acting legally. What this means for customers is that Viagogo is not bound by any sort of UK or even EU regulations that have been designed to keep consumers safe. Madrid-based GES SL listed. Being able to use their service easily is equally, if not more, important. However, rather than act on this evidence, their repeated response has been to roll out a confused and Orwellian PR statement: The CMA takes any allegations of breaches of the court order secured against Viagogo very seriously and will not hesitate to take action, including court action if necessary, if we find that Viagogo is failing to meet their obligations under the order. ", "Purchased tickets to the 2022 Kentucky Derby. This has led to major damage to their online reputation and good name. Viagogo Review: Is it a Reliable and Legit Ticket Website? - Seat Compare Why Airline Tickets Are Still So Expensive and Likely to Remain That Way A click of the heels will not take . 01 May 2023 | Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Compare all the best ticket sites in one simple search. Submission and publication are subject to our terms and conditions: see http://gu.com/letters-terms, Three 18 tickets for the BBCs The Biggest Weekend festival ran up a final bill of 1,772, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. U2 has announced 12 shows at the new MSG Sphere at The Venetian starting September 29. Its my favorite time to travel anyway, as its usually cheaper and less crowded. My airfare and hotel costs was $6200.00. You can reach all of these options by clicking on the green search button, without entering any key terms and you will reach their Advanced Search page where you can type in multiple terms to search by. The concert was due to happen in 2020, but was rescheduled several times due to Covid. So, you may need to fight for your So right now, youve got both people who are prioritizing travel in their lives and people who couldnt travel during the pandemic a combination that is dramatically increasing demand. The second investigation, by Shari Vahl at BBC Radio 4s You & Yours dug even deeper, holding the identities of Sofia Wagner, H.E Events and Ticketing Expert LTD up to the light. According to the aviation analyst, the ripple effect comes down to the fact that capacity or supply isn't fully restored yet and is not keeping up with demand. -Skip the queue - buy your tickets in just two taps. The ticket resale website Viagogo has been accused of advertising non-existent gig tickets on behalf of an employee of its sister company StubHub, prompting calls for regulatory and criminal investigations. Although these booking fees are variable, some of the more popular events have fees as high as 30 %. While airfares have moderated some, they are only slightly lower than last years sold-out summer. Which is cold comfort, since prices seem so much higher than they were during the pandemic, when we all got used to rock-bottom deals. In 2017 the ASA told it to make its exorbitant fees and delivery charges clear at the start of the transaction. Hes also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music. Why Are One-Way Flights More Expensive Than Round-Trips? So, buy early and get the best price. are set by the sellers themselves, not the site. Just make sure that you The fresh allegations focus on more than 1m worth of tickets for gigs across Europe, some of which were advertised by a company with connections to Viagogo. One of the most important things is to be able to safely rely on your ticket provider when you buy your ticket, many ticket resale sites offer some sort of a ticket guarantee and customer support but those guarantees dont always come through. You will be contacted by email to verify your review. We also believe that other fake sellers continue to operate across the platform. Method 2 of 2: . I haven even read that a Baron is associated with this company he really must be having a great laugh at us easy prey. Furthermore, buying tickets from different regions of the world is made easy, this is one of Viagogos main advantages, it is quite common for tourists and for people who are living abroad in countries such as Australia, Singapore, Germany, France the US to buy tickets to live events on their site. And where are H.E Events? Made at least 30 phone calls to Viagogo and their response was that I would get the tickets in time for the event. Viagogo and StubHub, which are in the middle of a troubled $4bn (2.9bn) merger, have previously come under fire for a series of controversial business practices, including breaches of consumer law. The fresh allegations focus on more than 1m worth of tickets for gigs across Europe, at least some of which were advertised by a Madrid-based company with connections to Viagogo. Which is cold comfort, since prices seem so much higher than they were during the . value. Viagogo offers multiple currency conversions which makes it easy to convert the prices on the site into your own currency. Lets take the loading page: This could have been useful information to a buyer, but at the same time, this information is purposely used to invoke fear that tickets are selling out and pressure a customer into making a purchase. on the site. My only option is to upload a ticket pdf which i won't have. Despite overcast skies, Seattle is a beautiful part of Washington State. So the overall value of the tickets are governed by the marketplace that they are being sold on. "Viagogo is a criminal company who have STOLE $600 From us. He used to be a journalist and author, before making the inevitable leap into PR. Why are flights so expensive this summer? A CMA spokesperson said the watchdog was concerned about these reports of speculative selling.. do have an issue with tickets that were purchased on Viagogo, you will receive As a result of this, their guarantee should definitely be taken with a pinch of salt. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. The fresh allegations focus on more than 1m worth of tickets for gigs across Europe, some of which were advertised by a company with connections to Viagogo. The Eternal City can seem huge and overwhelming to first-time visitors. The TM pricing is about what Id expect for a residency at a new igh tech $1.2 billion venue, and are way less than Adeles residency.GA floor 287.88P1 501.35P2 400.21P3 267.88P4 140.13I think those are well within current prices. If you are looking for an urgent telephone number for Viagogo, or if you are wanting to speak to a representative at viagogo then you can try some of the contact methods below: Another useful link is their FAQ section: Viagogos help centre: https://www.viagogo.co.uk/Help/Buyer. Viagogo dont force you to register before using their service, which is a great timesaver if you dont intend to use Viagogo often. If you head over to the Viagogo Uk site you will be able to get more information on the tickets and the full details of the sellers, as Viagogo was ordered to reveal as much detail by the CMA. The companys full name, according to a well-placed source, is Global Experience Solutions. The Points Guy publishes flight deals every day including several for sub-$500 flights to Europe. Viagogo's apparent brazenness has been breathtaking and, so far, it's managed to profit with impunity. We asked our friend Clint Henderson at The Points Guy (a sister company to Lonely Planet) to give us his take on where post-pandemic airfares stand. Why The Controversial Viagogo Purchase Of StubHub Is 'Bad - Forbes Is Viagogo a scam? - Holiday Travel Forum - Tripadvisor I have now received them but only for General admission. The practice helps touts supercharge profits because they do not need to buy tickets they might not be able to sell, only spending to fulfil firm orders. supply to most events. All of it adds up to higher prices. I'm guessing these teams were the round file because I received no response from anyone. The global giant of ticket reselling, Viagogo, recently acquired its most significant rival StubHub from eBay for $4bn (3.1bn) to much PR fanfare. This handed the UK platform official resale status at prestigious venues like The O2 and Wembley Arena. They also offer e-tickets for an easy delivery method, all but guaranteeing that you will get your tickets on time. Given what had occurred with GES SL, it all appeared highly dubious. We only compare tickets from safe, trusted and fully verified ticket websites. *******************************************************************. Looking over the accounts of viagogo and StubHub, they estimated that overall sales value of the UKs uncapped ticket resale market in 2019 was 350m. There were still seats in the far back, but they're also expensive, and I really wanted to be in the front standing section. In April the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) threatened it with legal action for failing to comply with its demands that it make its pricing more transparent. This has led to major damage to their online reputation and good name. If you want to know if using Viagogo is reliable, then read ahead. Events were permitted to continue operating through a new PO Box address in Manchester. SportsEvent365 Are They Safe? Compare Seats and Options. The most important thing at the end of the day is to receive a Prefer this to be honest. Until recently, the final cost price of a ticket, including Viagogos fees, did not appear until the completion stages when customers were about to pay resulting in some overlooking the total. Look for e-tickets and instant download tickets, these tickets will usually be delivered early on, in the more details on the tickets that are listed the better, look for Row details, special notes these are good indications that the tickets are already in possession of the seller and are ready to be shipped. Question: After prices for flights spiked last year when everyone started traveling again, I thought things would eventually start to drop back down. StubHub also enjoyed partnerships with football clubs including Everton and Spurs. Following the You & Yours broadcast, this registration changed to a bogus address in Madrid and then, days later, Ticketing Expert LTD shifted into a new identity entirely. At an average ticket price of $551, the price for Game 1 of the series is $164 more expensive than the second-highest average price -- $387 for Game 3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers-New York Knicks . Despite providing this mob with proof - numerous times - and the 4 different people I spoke to on the phone confirming that they could see that I had paid for this event, these cheats are now denying all knowledge. And, by the way, were not going to call the Police. The Most Comprehensive Viagogo Review Online. Viagogo will help you market your tickets until you find a new buyer. I scored 3 tickets that Id rate not too bad for $800 for all three after all taxes and fees. Together, they frequently accounted for up to 80% of the sites listings at major UK festivals, while Ticketing Expert LTD was touting tickets at literally thousands of grassroots events in the UK and Europe. This is fair, considering that you wouldnt be Unfortunately, most of the tickets were already sold out. However, such valuable UK-based partnerships have all but dissipated. The reason viagogo is more expensive is becasue they charge a percentage fee, so if i was selling and set my ticket price at face value, i would actually be losing money as viagogo take a cut. So, add that to your budget ahead of time to avoid being blindsided at the time of payment, make sure you notice the fees at the checkout phase as well. Our Concert which finally happened last year was cancelled twice and despite numerous emails phone calls to the company for refund they refused to refund our tickets and stated the concert was postponed. Most of StubHub UKs suppliers (ie high volume ticket touts) have deserted the platform too. Remarkably, its the second time this year viagogos operators have been shamed into stripping great swathes of touted inventory from their UK site. Viagogo is undeniably a huge marketplace for tickets to some of the most popular events across the globe. Paradoxically, however, viagogo then proceeded to remove all Sofia Wagners tickets at one stroke, although H.E. StubHub said it did not sell tickets speculatively and has no relationship with a company called Global Experience Solutions. A month later, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) reported it to National Trading Standards for similar defiance. event on their site, How many tickets are still Just like GES SL, these activities appeared to constitute industrial-scale fraud, and also implicated viagogo in multiple breaches of consumer protection laws and the terms of their court order. (modern). However, Viagogo has not currently said it will make changes the CMA considers necessary, and the CMA has notified it that it will face court action unless it commits to addressing concerns. Even more troubling, evidence suggested GES SL was closely connected to viagogo itself details of which were passed onto the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA), the UKs business regulator who has been investigating viagogo for five years, and served them with a court order in November 2018. Viagogo is a venture-backed company with major investment firms such as Index Ventures, Lord Jacob Rothschild as well as well-known athletes such as Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf, who have invested in the company. While airfares have moderated some, they are only slightly lower than last year's "sold-out summer.". A flight to Las Vegas or Kansas City doesnt normally cost $700800, but we are routinely seeing prices like that these days. Why is flying in the summer so expensive? Cheap flights can be scarce ", "I wouldn\u2019t even give this company if thats what you can call them 1 STAR. Last month, so-called secondary ticketing platform viagogo removed an estimated 1m+ of fake and fraudulent tickets from its UK website mostly for large outdoor festivals such as Reading, Parklife, TRNSMT and Wireless, but also for upcoming shows from Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, Nothing But Thieves, Tom Jones, Fatboy Slim, Lorde, The Kooks, The Charlatans and many, many others. Out of my concern, I emailed Viagogo and this was their response: Sellers on viagogo are only paid for their tickets after the buyer has successfully gained entry to the event. Turned up to the event and was denied entry for invalid tickets. I also predict airfares will eventually return to about where they were before the pandemic. Assuming remote work, teleconferencing innovations and other professional trends hold, and business travel doesnt return to its 2019 highs, this should eventually end up leading to lower prices. Out of desperation to divest StubHub International, viagogos listings have been artificially boosted creating an illusion that the site is laden with tickets, and that the uncapped secondary market continues to boom. You can search for upcoming events by a number Going to cost to see things there! If there are any issues with the tickets (e.g. I recently used Viagogo to buy two tickets for George Benson at the Royal Albert Hall. Shocking. Tickets for U2's Sphere shows in Las Vegas are expensive (Supported files: jpg, png, mpeg, ogg, mp4 & webm). A second source, with knowledge of that company, said it was run by a senior employee at StubHub in Spain. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Domestic flights remain high, too. Nobody deserves to profit from concerts other than the musicians, crew, promoters, bar staff, and all who work on the events, and a ticket should only ever be worth the price printed on it., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Who do you think should fill the drummers slot? Shortly afterwards, event organisers received orders for the same quantities, in Walkers name. It appears a member of the public purchased them and then resold on Viagogo, it says. Read our Privacy Policy. [STOP PRESS: on Wednesday 8th September, it was announced that Digital Fuel Capital, a US investment fund led by an ex-colleague of Eric Baker, and with interests in coffee, rugs and sportswear, would be buying StubHub International. Peter Hunter and David Smith were jailed in 2020 after being found guilty of four counts of fraud including one related to speculative selling, following a 2016 Guardian investigation. Madrid-based GES SL listed thousands of tickets, including more than 600 events in the UK, on the Viagogo website, which is Britains largest ticket resale platform. I really wish I had gone direct to the event organiser. However, theres a catch here. 1st time at F1 - denied entry for fraudulent tickets. You can often score great deals that way, too. In theory, this scenario should suit Eric Baker famously. I've just moved here and decided that I'll take the opportunity to go see them live. viagogo Tickets - Apps on Google Play have read the fine print. RM120??? Clint Henderson: You are not alone: prices have spiked this summer for many destinations, and are likely to remain elevated for the duration of the season. What are your experiences with third-party/resale ticketing like Viagogo? Such deals have rising concerns regarding the role of the secondary market and the involvement of official ticket outlets channelling tickets to the resale market. Adam Webb has worked in the music industry for around 20 years. However, rather than an international ticket touting ring, he was greeted by two confused and unsuspecting pensioners neither of whom knew anything about secondary ticketing or viagogo. (modern). Events and Ticketing Expert LTD were all bona fida sellers with a good track recordincluding successfully fulfilling orders. The spokesperson then added, we take allegations of the misuse of our platform very seriously and take action to remove listings if necessary.. However, there has been a great deal of criticism directed towards Viagogo as of late. Many people make their choice according to what site is the cheapest, but that is often the wrong tactic and could cause you to end up with a counterfeit ticket. Help future customers by talking about customer service, price, delivery, returns & refunds. The information provided by Viagogo for GES is incorrect but the Guardian has established an link between the two companies. You should also pay attention to the ticket restrictions such as Limited or restricted view which indicates that the view for that specific ticket will be obstructed. is looking to sell it for more money. In the first, the Daily Records chief news reporter, Mark McGivern, doorstepped occupants of a relatively modest property in Dundee that was supposedly the headquarters of H.E Events. Artists whose tickets have appeared on Viagogo under listings placed by GES SL, said they were appalled by the ease with which industrial-scale ticket touting continues unchecked. 6 Total Score.
Crypto Revolution Chris,
Shooting In Whittier Today,
How Did Albert Reed Jr Died,
Affirmations Meme Maker,
Optum Pay Grade 30,
Articles W
