Last week, Channel 4
programme Dispatches exposed the fraudulent behaviour of so called ‘Fan to fan
ticket exchange’ websites Viagogo and Seatwave. These websites claimed that
they were a basis where fans could easily and safely buy and sell tickets to
other fans. However an undercover investigation discovered that the websites were lying to customers and charging excessive amounts for the tickets.
One account was of a
Woman who had queued for hours in order to get a front row seat for a Will Young
concert (in case you were wondering that wasn’t the horrible finding). She
discovered that Viagogo had already been allocated the first 4 rows of the
show, so the woman was unable to get a front row ticket unless she paid over
the odds prices on the website.
The findings from
Dispatches did make me particular angry as I’ve experienced many times where I’ve
been either unable to buy tickets or be given horrible seats, despite the fact
I’ve ordered my tickets the instant they go on sale.
A couple of years ago
I had waited patiently on my computer for tickets to Green Day’s show at the
02 arena. As soon as it hit 9am I spammed the refresh button and finally after
about 20 minutes of trying I got through to the ticket purchase page. However
the only tickets left were seating tickets at the back of the arena. I had a quick look on Seatwave and discovered
that standing tickets had already gone on sale for almost 3 times the price of
a normal ticket!
To say I was gutted
was an understatement, I grabbed my gun and went out on a Death Wish style
revenge on Seatwave and all its employees (Well the real story was slightly
different to that). But I do find it disgraceful that websites like Viagogo can
still go about ripping off fans without anyone stepping in to stop it. It’s
incredibly unfair for fans to wait for hours in order to buy tickets for their
favourite band, only to be turned away because Viagogo have already been given the
best tickets.
One of the pioneers of
new technology that I would love to see introduced with all tickets is
Glastonbury festival. For the last 2 years, everyone who wants to buy a ticket
has to register their name and photo with the website. If they can’t attend the
festival, they simply sell the ticket back to the festival with a full refund
and the festival sells the ticket at no extra price.
This incredibly simple
idea is brilliant and will stop touts and rip off websites and everyone seems
to win (except of course conmen like Seatwave). I hope organisers take note and
bring a stop to this practice once and for all.
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