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Ticketmaster may have misled music fans over Oasis concert ticket prices, a competition watchdog investigation has found.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has urged the online platform to change the way it labels its tickets and provide better pricing information to fans.
The CMA has been investigating the site following widespread complaints about the sale of Oasis gig tickets last year, which saw over 900,000 tickets purchased through the site.
Over 900,000 tickets were purchased through the Ticketmaster site
Liam and Noel Gallagher announced the band would reunite for a tour in 2025, but fans suffered various problems when trying to get tickets, including some ending up paying as much as £355 for tickets originally advertised for £148 on Ticketmaster.
The controversy prompted the CMA to look at how ‘dynamic pricing’ – a form of surge pricing – may have been used, and whether the sale by Ticketmaster may have breached consumer protection law.
While the investigation is still ongoing, the CMA said it is “concerned” Ticketmaster may have breached consumer protection law.
It said the company labelled certain seated tickets as “platinum” and sold them for nearly two-and-a-half times the price of equivalent standard tickets, without explaining why they were more expensive.
“This risked giving consumers the misleading impression that platinum tickets were better,” it said.
Noel and Liam Gallagher pictured at Wembley in 2009 – the year the band broke up. Pic: PA
It also found Ticketmaster did not inform fans that there were two categories of standing tickets at different prices, and there was no evidence that it used dynamic pricing.
“Many fans were under the impression that Ticketmaster used an algorithmic pricing model during the Oasis sale, with ticket prices adjusted in real time according to changing conditions like high demand,” the watchdog said.
“The CMA has not found evidence that this was the case. Instead, Ticketmaster released a number of standing tickets at a lower price and, once they had sold out, then released the remaining standing tickets at a much higher price.”
Downing Street has said “everyone deserves a fair shot at getting tickets” for music and sport events.
Asked what message the prime minister had for fans affected by the Oasis sale, a Number 10 spokesman said: “In general terms, the chance to see your favourite musicians or sports teams live is something that all of us enjoy, and everyone deserves a fair shot at getting tickets.
“But for too long, fans have had to endure the misery of touts hoovering up tickets for resale at vastly inflated prices. We’ve also seen cases where a lack of transparency has meant customers have been caught unawares by last minute price rises for high demand events.”
The spokesman said there would be a full response to a consultation issued in due course.
At the time of the backlash, a spokesperson for Ticketmaster said: “Fans can resell their Oasis tickets at the full price they paid through Ticketmaster or Twickets.”
The gigs kick off this July in Cardiff, running until September when the band will perform two final Wembley Stadium shows.
