LONDON (CelebrityAccess) — The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced the launch of an investigation into the Live Nation’s Ticketmaster’s sale of Oasis tickets, including the controversial use of dynamic pricing.
According to the CMA, the inquiry will seek to determine if the ticket sale breached the UK’s consumer protection laws in several key areas, including the use of potentially unfair commercial practices in 2008’s Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations act.
The inquiry will also examine Ticketmaster’s use of dynamic pricing, including if consumers were provided with clear and timely information on ticket pricing changes and if potential customers were pressured to buy tickets in a short time to avoid potential price increases, the CMA said.
The CMA is in the initial phases of its inquiry and has solicited input from the ticket-buying public who have been invited to submit evidence of their experiences in attempting to purchase Oasis tickets.
Along with the focused inquiry into ticketing for the Oasis tour, the CMA also released its letter from the Secretaries of State at the Department for Business and Trade and Department for Culture, Media and Sport on issues surrounding the event ticketing market.
In the letter, the CMA details its view that more protections are required for consumers purchasing tickets on the secondary market, reaffirming a position that was previously stated by the CMA in 2021.
“It’s important that fans are treated fairly when they buy tickets, which is why we’ve launched this investigation. It’s clear that many people felt they had a bad experience and were surprised by the price of their tickets at check-out. We want to hear from fans who went through the process and may have encountered issues so that we can investigate whether existing consumer protection law has been breached,” stated Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA.
Live Nation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
