Ticketmaster to launch face value reselling website after artists and management demand tickets are not resold at higher values
Ticketmaster is developing a face value ticket exchange where customers will be able to resell tickets after it buckled to pressure from fans, event organisers and artists to stop tickets from being resold at much higher values.
The ticket selling website launched a ‘paperless’ ticket service earlier this year for some events, such as Radiohead and Michael McIntyre, where organisers requested a system to prevent ticket reselling was put in place.
When a customer buys a 'paperless ticket' it means that they cannot resell it, but in order to collect it they need photo ID and the card used to purchase it.
Cleaning up: Ticketmaster has introduced a 'paperless' ticket system to stop the reselling of tickets at a higher than face value price. Michael McIntyre is one of the events for which 'paperless' tickets were sold for.It is now developing a face value ticket exchange for paperless tickets after some customers complained about not being able to buy tickets as presents, or pass them on if for unforeseen circumstances they cannot change.
The face value ticket exchange is still in development, according to Ticketmaster but it will be part of its website when it is launched.
A spokesman from Ticketmaster said that it could not comment further on how it would work and if there would be any charge to use the service.
More... Channel 4 Dispatches beats injunction to air 'Great Ticket Scandal' Viagogo staff 'traded tickets on company cards' Blog: How This is Money helped DispatchesTicketmaster says that the 'paperless' system has been well received but that it realises that some ‘customer’s circumstances may change from the time of their original purchase’.
Stumped: Kirsty Greening bought tickets via Ticketmaster for her parents to see Michael McIntyre via the 'paperless system'.This is Money was contacted by two Ticketmaster customers who had found themselves unable to attend events which they had been forced to buy paperless tickets for.
Kirsty Greening, from Wales, bought two tickets for her parents to see Michael McIntyre in Cardiff as an anniversary gift. But when the 27-year-old later realised that she would have to go to the venue on the night to pick up the tickets she wasn't happy. She complained to Ticketmaster and This is Money about the issue.
Similarly, Rhonda Martin bought three tickets to see Radiohead at the O2 in London. However, the 29-year-old who lives in Sheffield is now not able to attend the gig. As the tickets were paperless it means that only she can pick up them up on the day of the event and this means her friends may miss out on attending the concert entirely.
A spokesman from Ticketmaster said that it would contact both customers to try and assist them.
Pressure was put on Ticketmaster and the rest of the ticket selling industry after Channel 4’s Dispatches revealed that tickets for recent gigs and tours by Coldplay, Rihanna, Westlife, Take That and the V Festival were allocated by promoters to the site where fans think they are buying from other fans.
Creep: Thom Yorke of Radiohead performs in 2008. Tickets to see the band this year have been sold via the 'paperless' system.During the programme social media network Twitter was flooded with tweets from fans voicing their anger. Twitter said that the programme attracted almost 12,000 tweets in 24 hours, while three of the top ten trending topics related to the show.
An article by This is Money in May last year first exposed the issue after we reported allegations from a former Viagogo employee who said the reselling website was using company credit cards to buy tickets from primary sellers to then resell at a profit.
This is Money was contacted by Dispatches regarding the article and was featured on the Channel 4 programme.
