UK’s CMA launches investigation into Ticketmaster

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a formal investigation into Ticketmaster following the ticketing controversy surrounding the Oasis reunion shows.

The investigation will assess whether Ticketmaster engaged in ‘unfair commercial practices’ prohibited by UK consumer protection law.

The regulator will also look into whether fans were given ‘clear and timely’ information to explain that the tickets could be subject to dynamic pricing, how this would operate and the price they would pay for any tickets.

It also says it want to understand if people were put under pressure to buy tickets within a short period of time at a price higher than they thought they would have to pay.

The CMA says it will engage with Ticketmaster and gather evidence from various sources, which could include the band’s management and promoters, and that “It should not be assumed that Ticketmaster has broken consumer protection law.”

A Ticketmaster spokesperson said: “We are committed to cooperating with the CMA and look forward to sharing more facts about the ticket sale with them.”

CMA is also inviting fans to submit evidence of their experiences of the purchase process, including calling for the submission of screenshots taken by fans.

“It’s clear that many people felt they had a bad experience and were surprised by the price of their tickets at check-out”

Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “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.

“The CMA also welcomes the government’s recent announcement that it will consult on measures to provide stronger protections to consumers in the ticketing sector, wherever they buy their tickets.”

The announcement comes on the same day that a letter from the CMA to UK Government ministers has been published, setting out its views on the secondary ticketing market. In the letter, the CMA reiterates its previous position that issues relating to secondary ticketing cannot be ‘tackled effectively by the CMA using its existing toolkit’. The regulator welcomed the Government’s upcoming consultation on additional consumer protections in the secondary ticketing market, saying it wanted the best outcome ‘for fans and fair-playing businesses’.

In addition to the views on the secondary market, the letter also noted the concerns raised by the ‘primary market sale of Oasis tickets’ and outlined the actions the CMA is taking.

The letter adds: “Dynamic pricing is used across a range of sectors; it may be facilitated by the development of AI and other digital tools; and, in certain contexts, it can affect consumers’ trust in markets, and their ability to get good deals. Reflecting this, we are exploring any broader competition and consumer issues raised by dynamic pricing, and we look forward to engaging with your officials as our thinking in this area develops.”

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