Cracking Down on UK Ticket Touting: What You Need to Know About Secondary Ticketing Laws

The complex world of secondary ticketing in the UK, where tickets for live events are resold, often at inflated prices. We explore the current legal landscape, including consumer protection laws and specific legislation designed to combat unfair practices like ticket harvesting by 'bots' and misleading pricing. Learn about the efforts of regulatory bodies like the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to enforce these rules and hold platforms accountable. We'll also cover recent government consultations and proposed reforms aimed at making the market fairer and more transparent for fans.

Key Takeaways:

• UK secondary ticketing is regulated by a blend of general consumer laws (e.g., Consumer Rights Act 2015) and targeted legislation like the Digital Economy Act 2017 and the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
• Legislation aims to ensure transparency, requiring sellers and platforms to provide clear information like face value, seat location, and seller identity. It also criminalizes the use of 'bots' for bulk ticket purchases and prohibits misleading 'drip pricing'.
• Enforcement bodies, particularly the CMA and ASA, have taken action against major secondary ticketing platforms (e.g., Viagogo, StubHub), leading to changes in how information is presented and how refunds are handled. The CMA is currently investigating Ticketmaster over dynamic pricing practices for Oasis concert sales.
• Calls for reform continue, with recent government consultations exploring options like price caps on resales, increased accountability for platforms, and strengthened enforcement powers for regulators.

 Definitions

• Secondary Ticketing: The resale of tickets for live recreational, sporting, or cultural events after their initial sale, often at a different price than the original face value.
• Dynamic Pricing: A pricing strategy where ticket prices are adjusted in real-time based on factors such as demand, time, and availability, leading to price fluctuations.
• Bots: Automated software applications used to rapidly purchase large quantities of tickets, often in excess of set limits, with the intent of financial gain from resale.

Source: Ticket resales
Research Briefing
Published Tuesday, 22 July, 2025

Transcript

Ivan: 0:00

Hello and welcome to this, the third series of The Bench Report. The UK Parliament may be on summer recess, but politics never stops. You're listening, as always, to Amy and Ivan. Today, we're really getting into something that, well, it impacts so many of us. The sometimes murky world of ticket resales here in the UK. You know, whether you're trying for a concert ticket or a big match, this market can feel like a real labyrinth. We're going to unpack how it actually works, what often goes wrong for you as a consumer, and maybe what changes are coming to make it fairer. So let's start right there. When we talk about ticket resales, what's the basic difference between buying a ticket the first time and getting one that's resold?

Amy: 0:46

Well, that's a really crucial distinction. When you buy from the primary market, you're getting that ticket straight from the event organizer or their official seller, original price. Think of it as the first point of sale.

Ivan: 0:57

Right, correct.

Amy: 0:58

Exactly. The secondary market, that's the resale space. It's where those tickets get bought and then resold, often at a completely different price. And what's really striking, I think, is just how constant traded, this secondary market is in the UK. In 2019, it seems just two platforms, Viagogo and StubHub. They essentially control between 90 percent and, well, almost 100 percent of the resale value for UK consumers.

Ivan: 1:22

90 to 100 percent. That's incredible.

Amy: 1:24

It is. That market was valued around 350 million that year. It really underscores how lucrative and for quite a while relatively unregulated this area has been, sometimes at your expense. We also see dynamic pricing used here. That's where prices aren't fixed. They fluctuate based on demand. A bit like airline tickets.

Ivan: 1:42

That level of concentration is something else. But with such a busy market, what are the common, maybe the most frustrating problems people face when they try to buy these resale tickets?

Amy: 1:50

There are several persistent issues that regulators like the CMA, the Competition and Markets Authority have pointed out again and again. A major one is professional resellers using bots. This automated software just scoops up huge numbers of tickets the second they're released.

Ivan: 2:07

Ah, the bots. So they bypass the limit.

Amy: 2:08

Precisely. They get around purchase limits, leaving genuine fans with nothing. Then when you do get onto a resale site, you're often missing key information. You might not know the exact seat number or who the seller actually is, or maybe there are restrictions that mean you can't even use the ticket.

Ivan: 2:23

Like meeting ID matching the original buyer.

Amy: 2:26

Exactly like that. And many sites use these sort of misleading pressure selling tactics, those messages saying only two tickets left or 15 people looking now to create this false urgency.

Ivan: 2:37

I've seen those.

Amy: 2:39

And a really significant issue for buyers is getting refunds. Just between March 2020 and July 2021, there were over 1,600 complaints specifically about cancellations and refunds. That's a lot. It shows how hard it can be to get your money back if something goes wrong.

Ivan: 2:55

It certainly sounds like a bit of a minefield for consumers. What legal framework exists to try and, well, manage this? And is it actually working?

Amy: 3:03

Well, for years, it's been a kind of patchwork of laws trying to bring some fairness. The Consumer Rights Act 2015, for instance, requires clear information and tackles unfair terms. Looking forward, there's a big change coming with the new Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act 2024. That starts next April.

Ivan: 3:21

The DMCC Act.

Amy: 3:23

That's the one. It's designed to give regulators more power, replacing older rules, and it specifically bans drip pricing.

Ivan: 3:30

Ah, the hidden fees that appear at the end.

Amy: 3:32

Exactly. Plus, we have specific laws like the Digital Economy Act 2017 that may, using the those ticket bots a criminal offense and requires unique ticket numbers. And we have seen some enforcement. The Advertising Standards Authority has cracked down on misleading pricing claims. The CMA also secured commitments from Viagogo and StubHub for better information disclosure after taking action against them.

Ivan: 3:54

So there has been some pushback.

Amy: 3:56

Yes, and a very current example, it's still ongoing, is the CMA investigating Ticketmaster. This relates to Oasis concert tickets sold last August. They're looking into whether clear, timely information about dynamic pricing was given up front, though it's fair to say Ticketmaster disagrees with the CMA's view on that.

Ivan: 4:14

Interesting. So despite existing rules and past actions, there's still talk of more reform. What proposals are on the table now to strengthen protection?

Amy: 4:23

The government's been looking closely at this. They recently finished their putting fans first consultation. It closed this April. They were considering several options. One was putting a cap on resale prices, maybe the original price, plus a small percentage, perhaps up to 30 percent.

Ivan: 4:36

Limiting the market.

Amy: 4:37

Correct. Another key idea was making the resale platforms themselves more accountable for what goes on via their sites. And it's not just the current government thinking about this. The Labor Party's manifesto included a commitment to bring in new consumer protections for ticket resales. Beyond tickets specifically, the CMA is also researching dynamic pricing more broadly across different sectors. And the Business and Trade Committee has also been asking for evidence on variable pricing and its impact. So the discussion is widening.

Ivan: 5:06

This whole issue really seems to tap into a bigger challenge in our increasingly digital lives, doesn't it? What does this all suggest for the wider picture of consumer protection online?

Amy: 5:16

It absolutely does. It really highlights that ongoing balancing act. How do we encourage competitive, innovative markets while ensuring people are properly protected? As digital platforms keep developing new ways to price things, like dynamic pricing, the need for fairness and transparency goes way beyond just event tickets. The fundamental question, I suppose, is how we make sure you, the consumer, get clear upfront information and feel confident making choices in all sorts of online transactions, not just for a concert or a football match.

Ivan: 5:47

As always, find us on social media at Bench Report UK. Get in touch with any topic important to you. Remember, politics is everyone's business. Take care.