Ticket Exchanges Recognised by Regulator As Legitimate Part of Ticketing Industry
Monday, 29 March 2010
Written by TJ Ireland
Stereoboard.com and other ‘secondary ticketing’ sites could soon be invited to join the body that regulates the ticketing industry in the UK.
The move would allow comparison sites like Stereoboard.com and exchanges such as Seatwave, Viagogo and GetMeIn to join the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers’ (STAR) and is seen as a positive step for credible online ticket exchanges.
Sites regulated and approved by STAR would have an official way to assure consumers they are trustworthy, helping buyers avoid bogus offers and scam websites.
But Stereoboard’s very own managing director, Nigel Sachdev, questioned STAR’s relevance and effectiveness as a regulator.
‘We welcome any new initiatives and co-operations to protect consumers using the secondary marketplace,’ said Sachdev.
‘But in terms of STAR's primary interest to be protecting consumers, I think that horse has already bolted. Ticket exchanges have done more to protect consumers and clean up the industry, but some have been ostracised for too long and understandably they have gone it alone.
‘If people are so easily failing to identify safe sources to buy secondary tickets, and we know they are, in great numbers, it begs the question: how relevant are STAR in the current climate?’
According to STAR, all its members ‘comply with a code of practice that helps protects customers.’ But this form of self-regulation by the ticketing industry has not done enough to deter scammers, say some.
Ticket fraud expert Reg Walker told business publication EU Ticket News the appearance of vast numbers of scam sites was down to the government’s refusal to force regulation upon the ticketing industry.
‘People are taking advantage of the fact that the Department of Culture, Media and Sport decided not to regulate,’ he said.
‘We have scam websites going up at the rate of one every three days. Because there is to be no regulation, the scammers have become more blasé and with the annual festival season coming up, there are more of them and they’re casting their net wider - throughout Europe.’
Members of STAR will vote in April as to whether to allow secondary ticket sites to be members. Sachdev said there was already some relationships forming between primary and secondary ticket sellers, but he would be ‘astonished’ if conventional ticket sellers welcomed secondary sites into STAR with open arms.
Other recent initiatives aimed at stopping fake tickets, like digital wristbands and paperless tickets ‘are not in consumers interests,’ said Sachdev.
‘They act simply as a mechanism to remove consumers’ rights to ownership, and limit what they can do if unable to attend or decide not to use the tickets,’ he said.
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