EXCLUSIVE: Tide is Turning in War on Ticket Touts, Says Ticket Factory MD Following Government Intervention

March 13, 2017

 

The managing director of ticketing platform The Ticket Factory has told iSportconnect that the “tide is turning” in the war on ticket touts, following the UK government’s latest intervention on bulk buying.
It was announced at the weekend that the government has accepted all the recommendations made by Professor Michael Waterson last year in regard to tackling the issues surrounding secondary ticketing industry.
Consumers have often found themselves wildly priced out of events due to online touts bulk buying tickets and reselling them for an inflated price.
However, the government’s Digital Economy Bill is now set to include a ban on bots, the software used by touts to buy up large quantities of tickets.

 

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Stuart Cain, the Managing Director of leading ticketing platform The Ticket Factory, welcomed the moves.

“Artists, ticket agents and promoters across the industry have really come together on this issue and united in the fight against touts and secondary sites. For too long a lack of legislation has been allowing fans to be ripped off, while also diverting revenues from the creative economy.

“Now, with the Government’s announcement that it will crack down on the use of bots to bulk-buy and will implement the recommendations laid out in the Waterson report, it finally feels like the tide is turning.

“Essentially, anything that allows for greater transparency in the market and help to stop fans being conned is a positive. There’s still a way to go, but this is a promising first step when it comes to the industry finally cleaning up its act.”

The new legislation has been greeted with largely positive reaction, with fans celebrating a strong step towards ending the unethical profiteering of unlicensed ticket touts.