The House Of Lords approve secondary ticketing regulations

The House Of Lords have narrowly voted to approve a new clause in the Consumer Rights Bill that hopes to force those touting tickets online to provide buyers with additional information identifying who exactly they are, how much mark-up they are adding, provide a booking reference, and whether or not it contravened the terms of the ticket to resell it by highlighting the risks to the consumer of buying tickets from the secondary market.

The amendment is the result of the All-Party Parliamentary Group On Ticket Abuse report made in April this year, which recommended amending the Consumer Rights Bill, as it would put protection in place for ticket buyers much faster than waiting for new ticket touting legislation to be tabled.

Former chairman of the British Olympic Association Lord Moynihan and former England women's cricket captain Baroness Heyhoe Flint spearheaded the crackdown, with online ticket fraud affecting an estimated 2.3 million consumers a year, and costing £1.5 billion.

The proposals, which have not yet had government endorsement, come at a time when there's less pressure being brought to bear by the music industry on the government to change the legislation because many of the live music ticket sellers (who were pushing for changes) are now in the secondary resale market themselves.

Ticketmaster forinstance have said they think that any regulation changes should be directed at those using software which enables them to buy up large numbers of primary tickets for resale. Although it seems strange to me that as it's them doing the selling they can't employ some measure preventing this without the necessary legislation. Surely they should also employ a more robust returns policy for the tiny minority who are unable to use their tickets.

The amendment was approved by 183 votes to 171 and proposes a ticket seller using a resale site must reveal their identity, the face value of tickets, provide seat numbers and booking references associated with the ticket, and state whether the terms and conditions of the ticket being sold give the promoter the right to block entry to the event if they discover the ticket was resold. Secondary sites selling the tickets will also be obliged to ensure this information is given.

It's hoped this will reveal the scumbag touts who mass purchase tickets and drive a false demand for events, however it doesn't fully address the potential for the ticket sellers buying up the tickets and then selling them on their own secondary sites at a mark up. But, it will also make the purchaser aware that they are buying a touted ticket, how much over the odds they are paying and the possible risk of still being refused entry.

Hopefully the main benefit of the proposal is an end to scumbag touts selling masses of tickets that they have not yet received from the ticket seller, or offering them online before they have even gone on sale.

eFestivals has always been against touting in all forms, and we are about the only major music & festivals website that has always rebuffed the approaches from these shiny-suited scumbag touts and never partnered with them.

Whilst these proposals aren't as perfect as a full private members bill stopping scumbag touts ripping people off, and at the very least it's an increasing protection for the ticket buying public.

The most important thing it offers is a booking reference, so a buyer should be able to see that the seller has actually bought tickets in the first place, and that at least should stop people being ripped off quite so often, as it happens at present.

It's not fool proof, but buyers will learn to swerve those that can't prove they hold tickets. It'll kill off some of the fraud at least. We wait to see whether the government get behind the proposals when it goes through the House Of Commons. So feel free to lobby your MP to vote in favour of the amendment.

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