Online auction website eBay have said that they are awaiting an MPs’ report into the secondary ticket market “with interest”.
In a report by The Culture, Media and Sport select committee, to be published on Thursday, MPs are expected to call for an industry code of conduct against online auction sites.
If an agreement can’t be reached, the possibility of legal action by the Office of Fair Trading should be enforced, the report will suggest.
In a statement released to Gigwise, an eBay Spokesperson said: “We welcome the fact that the Chair of the Committee appears to have publicly rejected the notion of a ban on the secondary ticket market, which we think would be wrong in principle and unworkable in practice.”
Although under current law it is not illegal to resell concert tickets in the United Kingdom, concerns are growing that the secondary ticket market is being exploited by criminals seeking to make a considerable profit.
eBay’s spokesperson defended the resale of tickets, however, describing that the secondary market as "a legitimate one which benefits consumers.”
The auction site said that they will comment in more detail once the full findings of the report are made public.
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- ”Although it isn’t illegal to resell concert tickets in the United Kingdom.”
”If an agreement can’t be reached, the possibility of legal action by the Office of Fair Trading should be enforced, the report will suggest.”
hmmm contradictory statements, if there are laws about re-selling of tix by touts, then why has’nt the Office of Fair Trading enforced them.
and another thing Mp’s....LOOK at ticketmaster carefully and you will see they are s
- Yes, ticket touting in the UK is big business for a few but because there are so many amateurs doing it its easy to exploit these people as well. Pick your time and its nearly always possible to get tickets near the face value. Touts were losing up to 50% on Sex Pistol and Take That late date concerts. Thats a bargain. As above, I think ticket agencies charging their fees over face value is the rip off here!!
- duno wot happened to my orig post, swear words or just bad spelling lol :)
but just to add for net savvy Mp’s, do Not forget Ticketmaster’s latest scam aka Auctions of top acts at inflated prices, they are just as bad as Ebay ect.
- It ’benefits consumers’ because it allows people, who are prepared to pay a premium, the chance to buy tickets that they otherwise (for whatever reason) couldn’t buy in the first instance. It’s called supply & demand in a free market system... And please don’t give me that lame excuse of ’they couldn’t buy tickets because the touts bought them all’. Fans tend to know how to get tickets when they first come on sale and have access to fan club
- ”eBay’s spokesperson defended the resale of tickets, however, describing that the secondary market as ”a legitimate one which benefits consumers.”
THIS IS A JOKE!!!
who benefits from getting ripped off and paying double face value for a ticket
tix for festivals go on sale, sell out in minutes and the next day there on ebay for twice the price. How does that benefit the genuine fans?
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