Ticket Websites 'Must Do More To Identify Touts'

More needs to be done to help people identify ticket touts online, according to a report commissioned by the government.

It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) is recommending that companies like Stubhub or Tickemaster should take measures to stop potential ‘touts’ buying tickets in bulk to sell on at an inflated price.

Professor Michael Waterson, from Warwick University, who carried out the review said there was "work to be done" within both the primary and secondary markets for ticketing.

He said websites should “play a role” by providing details of the face value of the ticket, the exact seat location and any restrictions, to ensure sellers “fully observe the rules” set out by the Consumer Rights Act.

Professor Waterson is also calling for enforcement action if sellers flout the rules.

His review of online secondary ticketing, follows repeated warnings about ticket touts using social media to dupe unsuspecting customers out of hundreds of pounds at a time.

A spokeswoman for StubHub, the online ticket-seller owned by eBay, said: "We welcome Professor Waterson's recognition of the benefits for consumers from the secondary market and his decision to reject further legislation at this stage, including price caps and any general resale bans or bans for 'crown jewel' events.

"But we are concerned that there are still insufficient legal safeguards to stop event organisers using row and seat number details to cancel without compensation tickets offered for resale.

"Transparency should not come at the expense of people's right to resell their tickets."

Business minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe said: “this is a topic that attracts great interest and a wide range of views…the Government will respond to this report in due course.”

Last week the Local Government Association warned that music and sports fans lost more than £5m to online ticket fraud last year, up from £3.35m in 2014.

Customers who bought fake tickets, lost an average of £444 per transaction, with social media sites accounting for nearly half of all scams.

The Shadow sports minister Clive Efford said: “This report shows that secondary ticketing companies are ignoring existing regulations and there is no enforcement taking place.

“Due to the government dragging its feet on this issue, sports fans have been needlessly ripped off for tournaments such as the Rugby World Cup, the Ashes and the European Football Championship.”

“The government must ensure the regulations already in place are being enforced.”