060/06
26 April 2006
Jowell Acts To Protect Genuine Fans From Unscrupulous Ticket Touts
Tessa Jowell today called on ticket agencies and sports, music and theatre bodies to squeeze ticket touts out of business and stop genuine fans being frozen out of the market.
Speaking at a ticket touting summit, the Culture Secretary asked all those present – including Ticketmaster, Ebay, National Arenas Association, Mean Fiddler, the All England Club and the Football Association - to sign up to a set of principles in an attempt to stamp out touting.
She asked ticket agencies to:
- limit the number of tickets that can be sold in a single transaction;
- create a blacklist of known touts – those who regularly buy in bulk - and refuse them sales;
- establish a more effective returns policy; and
- ban the sale of futures - selling tickets an individual doesn't actually have or to an event that hasn't been formally scheduled.
Secondary ticket agencies, such as internet auction sites, have also been asked to provide better information such as the original price of the ticket, relevant terms and conditions, and the seat block or location. If a fan decides to pay above face-value for a ticket they will at least be making an informed choice.
She also called on fans to boycott sellers or sites that deliberately set out to either defraud fans or charge them exorbitant prices.
Tessa Jowell said:
"This summer's pop concerts, sporting events and music festivals risk becoming the preserve of people with bulging wallets.
"I want to see ticket agencies squeezing ticket touts out of business to protect genuine fans from being frozen out of the market.
"This is the first phase in the battle to stamp out ticket touting. If we can stop bulk loads of tickets getting into the hands of touts, genuine fans will stand a better chance of getting tickets to see their favourite band or sports team."
The principles will be tested by primary and secondary ticket agents over the next three months. The summit will reconvene in July where a final code of conduct will be drawn up.
Government has no current plans to make touting illegal but is looking to identify practical mechanisms that will make it unattractive for ticket touts to operate.
Notes to Editors
1. Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport chaired the summit. Those attending included Ticketmaster, Clear Channel Entertainment, FA Premier League, Society of London Theatre, See Tickets, Live 8, Rugby Football Union, England and Wales Cricket Board, Concert Promoters Association, Society of Theatre and Retail Agents, All England Lawn Tennis Club, National Arenas Association, DF Concerts, Harvey Goldsmith, Mean Fiddler Music Group and the Agents Association.
2. A copy of the set of principles are available here (PDF 47kb).
Press Enquiries: 020 7211 6271
Out of hours telephone pager no: 07699 751153
Public Enquiries: 020 7211 6200
top
|
