Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has threatened secondary ticketing site Viagogo with another court appearance and fine due to some concerns with the site following its review.
Late last year, the CMA took Viagogo to court for breaking consumer protection law. Viagogo released a statement noting that a settlement had been reached with the CMA and the company agreed to fall in line with the new marketplace rules. All marketplace sites were required to adhere to the requirements by January 17, 2019.
“This court order is a victory for anyone who decides to buy a ticket through viagogo,” Andrea Coscelli, CMA Chief Executive Officer said in a statement issued by the agency. “We have been clear throughout our investigation that people who use these resale websites must know key facts before parting with their hard-earned money, including what seat they will get and whether there is a risk they might not actually get into the event at all.
“Viagogo has agreed to a comprehensive overhaul of its site to ensure it respects the law, just like the other resale sites who have already signed commitments to improve the information they offer and give people a fair deal.”
The CMA said they would do a “comprehensive review of the changes each website has made” after the requirement deadline had past. After initially checking Viagogo, the CMA said it had “serious concerns that Viagogo has not complied with important aspects of the court order we secured against them,” noting that if Viagogo doesn’t make the necessary changes without delay, they will bring the company to court and force them to oblige.
According to BBC, Viagogo said, “We are compliant.”
The Geneva-based resale company has been under fire the past year; promoters for the German band Rammstein won a court order banning Viagogo from selling tickets to its 2019 tour, and the company sued Kilimanjaro Live for cancelling fans’ Ed Sheeran resale tickets and forcing them to buy new ones.
Additionally, earlier this month, Viagogo issued a legal memorandum to Irish government ministers, calling-out the government for its proposed laws governing ticket touting.
