FanFair Alliance has published a new guide to help artists and managers tackle the excesses of the secondary ticketing market.
Backed by current Music Week cover stars the Music Managers Forum, the guidance, which can be downloaded here, advocates that artists, event organisers and venues make two clear and upfront statements in their terms & conditions of sale:
*Tickets are for consumers only to purchase
*Audiences are permitted to resell tickets for their price they paid or less, and that a consumer-friendly resale or reallocation mechanism is provided
The publication follows major developments, led by FanFair Alliance and its supporters and backed by a range of political and regulatory actions.
The UK is now leading the way in the fightback against unscrupulous secondary ticketing practices
Adam Webb
FanFair Alliance
Adam Webb, campaign manager, FanFair Alliance, said: “The message from audiences remains pretty clear and consistent. They’re still sick of exploitative online ticket touts, and they expect artists, event organisers and venues to do something about it.
“And here’s the good news: they can. The UK is now leading the way in the fightback against unscrupulous secondary ticketing practices. Artists have been empowered to take action.
“There’s a number of strategies they can pursue, but the no-cost recommendations in this guidance are open to all. As well as disrupting the practices of dedicated touts, our aim is that they will help promote a fairer and more transparent ticketing market.”
Recent YouGov research suggests online ticket touting remains a concern for live music attendees, and they expect artists and venues to help prevent it.
In an April 2019 survey of more than 4,000 UK adults, 45% said they had attended a gig or festival in the past five years. Of these live music attendees, 79% agreed with a statement that “too many tickets end up on reselling sites for inflated prices” while 67% agreed that “artists should do more to prevent tickets for their gigs being sold at an inflated price by ticket resellers”.
Annabella Coldrick, CEO, MMF, said: “Artists and their teams now have real power to take back control of their ticket prices by using simple T&Cs and offering consumer-friendly resale to fans. MMF urges all managers to read this guide and use it.”
Alongside the FanFair Alliance guidance, the Society of Ticket Agents & Retailers (STAR) has recently published its own detailed model terms and conditions to help those that wish to restrict the resale or transfer of tickets.
Jonathan Brown, CEO, STAR, said: “Restrictions on unauthorised ticket resale need to be balanced with an opportunity for consumers to dispose of tickets they are unable to use. Utilising good, authorised resale systems and implementing fair terms and conditions helps to combat unwanted excesses in the secondary ticket market. STAR members are committed to helping promoters and managers ensure that consumers are protected and treated fairly.”
Earlier this month, the Competition And Markets Authority (CMA) suspended its legal action against controversial resale site Viagogo. The CMA had prepared to take the secondary ticket service to court over accusations of failing to comply with an order over the treatment of customers.
