Chi Chi IzunduInvestigations correspondent and
Mark SavageMusic correspondent
ReutersTicketmaster will have to give music fans more advance information about ticket prices, after complaints about Oasis’s reunion tour last year.
The Competition and Markets Authority says the company has agreed to tell fans 24 hours in advance if a tiered pricing system is being used, as it was for Oasis standing tickets, and give more information about ticket prices during online queues.
It comes after the CMA said Ticketmaster “may have misled Oasis fans” with unclear pricing last year.
Platinum tickets sold for almost two and a half times the standard the price, but Ticketmaster did not explain to consumers that they came without extra benefits.
Fans expressed outrage over allegations that Ticketmaster used “dynamic pricing” – where ticket prices rise and fall according to demand – prompting the CMA to launch an investigation into the sale.
However the CMA said it had “not found evidence” that algorithmic pricing had been used to adjust the price of tickets in real time.
As a result of the investigation, Ticketmaster will have to provide more information about prices during online queues, helping fans anticipate how much they might have to pay.
It will also have to use accurate labelling, to ensure they “do not give the impression that one ticket is better than another when that is not the case,” the CMA said.
The company will also 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 the CMA chief executive, Sarah Cardell.
“If Ticketmaster fails to deliver on these changes, we won’t hesitate to take further action.”
A spokesperson for Ticketmaster said in a statement: “We welcome the CMA’s confirmation 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.”
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