Global ticket touting operations exposed ahead of major UK gigs such as Oasis
As Cardiff gears up for a summer filled with top music acts, an investigation by BBC Cymru Wales has uncovered major ticket touting operations across the world. Reporter Steffan Powell delves into the shadowy realm of ticket touts in the upcoming programme 'The Great Ticket Rip-Off', which aired on BBC One Wales tonight (Thursday, June 26).
The show uncovers how ticket touts are utilising vast networks of individuals abroad, dubbed "ticket pullers", to mass-purchase tickets for big UK gigs such as Oasis and Taylor Swift the moment they're available, aiming to resell them at hiked up prices.
The BBC's investigation claimed that these ticket pullers may employ illegal automated software and multiple identities to acquire tickets, potentially constituting fraud. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.
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This revelation comes just as Oasis is about to kick off their reunion tour in Cardiff's Principality Stadium on July 4. Last summer, many fans of the Gallagher brothers were frustrated as they were left empty-handed after enduring long online queues without securing tickets for the sold-out tour. You can read more about fan struggles here.
In an undercover segment for the programme, Steffan Powell impersonated a prospective ticket tout and captured audio of a Pakistani ticket pulling company boss, who claimed he could assemble a team of pullers capable of purchasing hundreds of concert tickets.
Identifying himself as Ali, the individual bragged about his team's success in obtaining numerous tickets for Taylor Swift's Eras tour the previous year, among other significant events, and suggested that touts are raking in "millions" through such schemes.
Ali boasted: "I think we had 300 Coldplay tickets, 330, something like that. And then we had Oasis in the same week - we did great"
Ali further revealed his awareness of a UK tout who earned over £500,000 last year from reselling tickets, with others raking in millions.
A separate ticket reseller from India discussed their strategy on bypassing UK laws, indicating: "If I'm sitting in your country and running my operations in your country, then it is completely illegal. We do not participate in illegal things because actually we are outside of the UK."
Ticketing industry veteran Reg Walker described to the programme his infiltration of a covert online group that allegedly racks up thousands of tickets using dubious methods.
Walker illuminated the tactics used by such groups to amass 100,000 "queue passes", thereby sidestepping the virtual queue systems set up for concert ticket purchases.
He elaborated: "The equivalent is 100,000 people all of a sudden turning up and pushing in front of you in the queue," and expounded on how this impedes true fans from acquiring tickets, "So now you've gone from first in the queue to 100,001. This is the perfect example of how touts block genuine fans out from the ability to buy tickets."
The UK Government is plotting fresh measures against the operations of touts, with a spokesperson stating: "We have consulted on a range of measures, including a price cap on ticket resales, as we aim to better protect fans and support the growth of the UK's world leading live events and sport sectors."
Scams & Scandals: The Great Ticket Rip-Off is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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