Viagogo selling fees excessive, say AFL fans

FOOTY fans are being slugged excessive fees by websites reselling tickets to Australian Football League games.

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FOOTY fans are being slugged excessive fees by websites reselling tickets to Australian Football League games.

Last Friday, Essendon fan Dennis Moore bought tickets to the Round 5 game against Melbourne through resale website Viagogo, which he assumed was the official ticketing website for the AFL.

He was happy to pay $140 for two Etihad Medallion Club seats, but got a rude shock when a $50 charge covering booking, handling and international transfer fees appeared on his bank statement.

“It isn’t the price of the tickets that angers me, but rather the extra $50 I’m paying on top for the privilege to go see my team play,” he said.

“I had no idea I was being ripped off by a third party.

“Although expensive, I just thought the fee was a money grab by the AFL.

“The site looked official and the confirmation email looks legitimate.”

Viagogo chief executive Eric Baker with Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale and Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert at the Australian launch of his agency in 2013. Picture: Supplied

Mr Moore said that he had been fooled into buying the tickets early by the site’s advertising that only 80 seats to the game were left. But many seats in public reserve areas only went on sale on Monday.

“I went online and it said the game was selling out and the only tickets available were $70 — so I thought I had no other option,” Mr Moore said.

“Some alarm bells did go off but I really wanted the tickets because I’m only in Melbourne for a couple of day visiting family after moving from Abbotsford to Coffs Harbour.”

Footy fans are being slugged excessive fees by websites reselling tickets to Australian Football League games. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

In addition to Viagogo’s $38.89 booking fee and $4.95 handling fee, Mr Moore’s bank applied a $5.52 international bank transaction charge ­because the vendor is registered in Geneva.

Viagogo’s website, which operates in more than 50 countries, says that it charges the fees to “cover the cost of maintaining the Viagogo platform, guaranteeing tickets and providing customer service”.

Had Mr Moore bought through either Ticketmaster or Ticketek, he would have paid a handling fee of less than $3.

The AFL said its advice was that people use registered and accredited ticket sale sites at all times because there was no guarantee that any other form of ticket would be honoured.

For fans worried about missing out on a match, additional tickets to some games will become available in the coming weeks.

Round 1 of the AFL season begins on March 23, when Carlton takes on Richmond at the MCG.

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