Ticket agents

26 January 2005

The OFT study on ticket agents found that consumers need better information about tickets for entertainment events so they can shop around for the best deal. The study also highlighted that some ticket agents' consumer contracts may contain terms we would consider potentially unfair.

Ticket agents provide an important service, both for event promoters and consumers. They can offer event promoters a more efficient means of distributing tickets, allowing them to increase overall ticket sales, and consumers with easier access to tickets for the events they want to see.

In 2003 the total value of advance ticket sales in the UK was approximately £1.4 billon. Of this, around £580 million were sales made through primary ticket agents. Primary agents have agreements with event promoters to sell tickets for events. There are also secondary ticket agents, who purchase tickets from a variety of sources for resale to the public at a price the market will bear.

See press release.

The report recommends that:

• non-broadcast event advertising includes the face value of the ticket while indicating additional fees may apply and could vary depending on the sales channel and ticket seller used. Adverts should also indicate where tickets can be purchased at face value and all price information should be displayed in a clearly readable form
• the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers produce model terms for its members to use in their consumer contacts.

Download Ticket agents in the UK report (pdf 447 kb), annexes (pdf 753 kb)
Download Questions for consumers to consider when buying tickets (pdf 60 kb)

Report findings

• most consumers were happy with their last ticket purchase. Eighty-six per cent of those who purchased from a ticket agent and ninety-five per cent of those who purchased from a venue's box office stated they were satisfied with their last ticket purchase
  
• dissatisfied consumers' concerns focussed on a dislike of additional fees and the level of additional fees, slow transaction speed and the non-delivery of pre-paid tickets
  
• non-broadcast event advertising tends not to carry price information. This information is often only available within a purchasing transaction increasing the time and effort consumers must spend to obtain price details. This makes it harder for some consumers to opt out of the transaction, particularly if they feel the event will sell out and any delay may result in not getting a ticket
  
• consumers tend not to shop around for event tickets. Ninety-four per cent of surveyed consumers bought tickets from the first ticket seller they contacted
  
• lack of shopping around may mean some consumers pay a higher price than they would have done otherwise. We found that prices for a Saturday night performance of Chicago with a face value of £42.50 ranged from £45.25 to £53.50
  
• it is vary rare for tickets to be bought without additional fees
  
• it is usually possible for an event's tickets to be purchased through a range of sales channels and ticket sellers
  
• some ticket agents' consumer contracts contain terms we would consider potentially unfair. Our mystery shopping exercise also found that 26 per cent of ticket sellers' consumer contracts were unclear to the mystery shoppers. In 26 per cent of internet mystery shops it was not possible for the shoppers to find information on how the ticket seller might deal with problems after purchase, for example consumer refunds or the non-delivery of prepaid tickets
  
• consumers were most likely to have problems with ticket purchases made through secondary agents not complying with consumer protection regulation
  
• ticket agents compete with each other for contracts with event promoters to sell tickets for the promoters events. We found this process did not lead to higher prices for consumers.

Background

The OFT announced its fact-finding study into ticket agents for entertainment and sporting events on 17 June 2004.

Announcement of study - see press release.

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