UK competition watchdog launches Oasis ticket sale investigation after sale chaos
The UK competition watchdog has launched an investigation into Ticketmaster over Oasis concert ticket sales, it has announced, including how "dynamic pricing" was used.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its investigation would look into whether the ticket seller breached consumer protection law.
It will also look into if people were given clear and timely information to explain the "dynamic" pricing and if consumers were put under time pressure to buy at a higher price.
The CMA said it would now engage with Ticketmaster and gather evidence from various other sources, which may include the band’s management and event organisers.
It added, it should not be assumed that Ticketmaster had broken consumer protection law.
CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell 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 checkout.
“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.
“This has been a priority focus for the CMA for several years, having previously taken enforcement action and recommended changes to improve the secondary tickets market.
“We are committed to working closely with Government to tackle the longstanding challenges in the ticket market.”
The statement comes days after many fans were shocked by standard tickets for the band’s reunion tour more than doubling.
It prompted the Government and the CMA to pledge they will look into the use of dynamic pricing.
Meanwhile, others were left angry and disappointed after being left empty-handed, having waited in an online queue for hours to buy tickets.
On Wednesday, Oasis announced new Wembley Stadium dates using a new ticketing plan following the chaos over the weekend.
Liam and Noel Gallagher have extended their Live ’25 tour to include two more London shows in September.
The Manchester brothers said they will be using a new “staggered invitation-only ballot process” with applications to join the ballot opened first to those who were unsuccessful in the initial sale.
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