Don’t let the opposition get past your wallet

So what are your rights if you’re buying tickets for a match, a festival or an event? Here’s my guide.

The cost of tickets

Surge/dynamic pricing is where businesses increase or decrease the underlying cost of goods or services depending on demand. This is becoming increasingly common, but it’s most contentious when it comes to gigs and events.

FIFA is reportedly using a variation of dynamic pricing for the World Cup, where there doesn’t seem to be any official price list and you discover the price at the point of payment. The BBC reported that first release tickets for the final hit a high of $10,990 (£8,333).

But that’s America. In the UK we are very resistant to dynamic pricing. After Oasis tickets hit fans hard in the wallet, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigated. While it turned out that dynamic pricing wasn’t used (a few cheaper tickets were available but when they sold out prices increased significantly), the CMA found that Ticketmaster “may have misled fans”.

This matters because the CMA’s findings are expected to be implemented by all ticket companies – though this isn’t a “definitive” interpretation of the law as yet. Dynamic pricing isn’t banned, but fans should be told if a tiered pricing system is in place, what those prices are and what you get for a “VIP” deal.

What about resale tickets?

The big resale ticket companies often come in for a lot of criticism – and quite rightly. The industry has been investigated repeatedly (and some firms are still under investigation about fees and sales practices). But as yet, they haven’t been banned.

Resale sites allow ticket holders to sell on their tickets, often at vastly inflated practices. This has made them the new frontier for ticket touts, who use “bots” to swamp the queues for tickets, stopping genuine fans from buying them.

Like it or not, though, many people are forced to use resale sites to get their hands on coveted tickets. The events, sports and gig industry have tried to clamp down on this, threatening to invalidate tickets sold on these sites. But the official resale sites are often clunky and aren’t great if you’re genuinely trying to sell a ticket close to the date.

How are touts getting round the rules? Well, most ticket firms allow you to transfer ownership to a friend or family member. This must be done through the official app – but there’s nothing to stop people selling tickets to a stranger then transferring them officially.

Be warned. When things go wrong, like cancelled gigs or events, getting your cash back can be tricky. So only pay by debit or credit card, or through an e-payment service like PayPal. Check the T&Cs to see what your rights are if the precious tickets turn out to be fake, too.

My top three tips when buying tickets and attending gigs

If you’re planning on going to a gig or event, here’s my checklist:

• Always pay on a credit card if the costs are over £100 as you can claim back from the card provider if the promoter goes bust or there’s a refund problem.
• With accommodation, choose the option that allows you to cancel close to the date of the event.
• Try to avoid buying train or travel tickets until closer to the event – and check the refund policies.
• Check the ticket site’s app so you know how to claim refunds, contact the firm and “gift” tickets you can’t use.

Martyn James is a leading consumer rights campaigner, TV and radio broadcaster and journalist. Read more from him at this link.