ONLINE marketplace Viagogo has maintained it is doing nothing wrong in providing a platform for people to re-sell tickets.
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A statement regarding its legitimacy was provided to the Western Advocate in response to an article in Wednesday’s newspaper, which stated that tickets purchased through Viagogo were not valid at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC).
BMEC manager Stephen Champion said there had been several instances since early 2018 where patrons had purchased tickets to events and paid hundreds more than the actual price.
He urged people not to buy tickets from third party websites and to contact the venues if they saw inflated ticket prices.
Viagogo said that tickets which appear on the website for sale are valid and people shouldn’t be denied entry to shows after purchasing tickets through the marketplace.
“All tickets on Viagogo are valid and it is perfectly legal to re-sell a ticket or give it to someone else if you want to,” the statement read.
“Viagogo is a marketplace and doesn’t buy or sell tickets. Viagogo provides a platform for third party sellers to sell tickets to event goers. Viagogo does not set ticket prices, sellers set their own prices, which may be above or below the original face value.
“Event organisers sometimes make claims that they will deny entry to people who have purchased resold tickets. These types of entry restrictions are highly unfair and, in our view, unenforceable and illegal.
“Therefore, as with all tickets on our platform, Viagogo customers should feel confident that they will gain entry to the event, and that is why we back every ticket with the Viagogo guarantee.”
In the original Western Advocate article, Mr Champion said that patrons who purchase tickets from Viagogo will be asked to re-purchase them through the venue.
They can then be provided with a letter to take to their bank to claim the original purchase as a scam and begin the process of getting their money back.