Viagogo forced to overhaul its business practices after watchdog wins court order

Under the court order, Viagogo will have to tell purchasers of tickets if there is a risk that they will be turned away at the door

The CMA said the court order would ensure Viagogo customers get a fair deal (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The competition watchdog has secured a court order to force ticket resales site Viagogo to change the way it does business.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) began enforcement action against the secondary ticket website last year due to concerns that it was breaking consumer protection law.

However, earlier this year the CMA said that despite the threat of court action Viagogo had failed to make necessary changes.

The watchdog launched legal action against Viagogo in August, seeking a court order to make Viagogo change its practices.

On Tuesday, the CMA said it had been granted the order in “a victory for anyone who decides to buy a ticket through Viagogo”.

Under the terms of the court order, Viagogo must :

•        tell purchasers of tickets if there is a risk that they will be turned away at the door
•        inform customers which seat in the venue they will get
•        provide information about who is selling the ticket, so people can benefit from enhanced legal rights when buying from a business
•        not give misleading information about the availability and popularity of tickets
•        make it easy for people to get their money back under Viagogo’s guarantee when things go wrong
•        prevent the sale of tickets a seller does not own and may not be able to supply

Andrea Coscelli, CMA chief executive officer, said: “We have been clear throughout our investigation that people who use these resale websites must know key facts before parting with their hard-earned money, including what seat they will get and whether there is a risk they might not actually get into the event at all.

“Viagogo has agreed to a comprehensive overhaul of its site to ensure it respects the law, just like the other resale sites who have already signed commitments to improve the information they offer and give people a fair deal.”

Viagogo said it had reached a “groundbreaking settlement” with the competition authority.

A spokesperson for the firm said: “We are pleased that we have been able to work closely with the CMA to come to an agreement that provides even greater transparency to consumers.”