ACCC warns fans over buying AFL finals tickets online

SECONDARY ticket sites have been put on notice ahead of the AFL finals and footy fans have been warned as the ACCC takes an online reseller to court over their sales practices.

Footy fans have been urged to be wary when buying tickets ­online Picture: Quinn Rooney, Getty Images.

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FOOTY fans have been urged to be wary when buying tickets ­online on the eve of the AFL ­finals as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission pursues legal action against resale site Viagogo.

The ACCC has launched Federal Court proceedings against the Switzerland-based secondary ticket seller, ­accusing it of failing to disclose “significant and unavoidable fees upfront’’.

ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard told the Herald Sun that footy fans desperate to see their teams play in Victoria should buy through official channels and read the fine print.

“It’s a timely warning with the footy finals coming,’’ she said.

An ACCC complaint against Viagogo cited a 31 per cent increase in the price of tickets to musical Book of Mormon in Melbourne, advertised on the site for $135 but sold for $177.45 with a $37.50 booking fee and $4.95 handling fees.

With AFL finals right around the corner, fans are being warned to take care when buying tickets online. Picture: Julian Smith, AAP Image

Some Cat Stevens fans buying tickets on Viagogo in May this year were hit with a $125 booking fee for his Melbourne gig.

The total price for three Ashes 2017-18 tickets increased from $330.15 to $426.81 when a $91.71 booking fee and $4.95 handling fee were included.

Ms Rickard said the ACCC believes Viagogo also misled consumers by implying tickets were scarcer than they really were and likely to run out of not immediately purchased.

And it falsely promoted itself as an authorised ticket seller of various events by using the term “official’’ in search engine advertisements.

“They have failed to disclose a substantial amount of fees upfront and the booking fees we’ve seen were $20 on average,’’ she said.

She said the ACCC would push for new regulations to protect consumers and make the site be more upfront with hidden costs and fees.

“The end goal is for them to be clear about their full prices, stop creating a false sense of urgency and simply stop referring themselves as the official site when they are not,’’ she said.

She said people who bought tickets from secondary sites that did not work or were not as advertised should seek a refund with the company and contact their credit card provider if that failed.

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