Latest news with #tickettouting
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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. READ MORE: Air India crash investigators reveal new breakthrough theory on cause of tragedy READ MORE: Foreign Office updates travel advice for countries popular with UK tourists including Dubai 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.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Liverpool fan's tickets cancelled over accusation of touting
A life-long Liverpool fan accused of facilitating ticket touting has blasted the football club for cancelling his tickets and saying it would not refund him £1, from Northern Ireland, had bought three tickets for himself and his daughters, for Sunday's end of season game when Liverpool will lift the Premier League later received an email stating: "Your tickets have been cancelled due to suspicious activity and you will not be provided with a refund."LFC said it takes a "zero tolerance approach to all forms of ticket touting" and "anyone who facilitated ticket touting" or "breached the club's terms and conditions" would be sanctioned. A BBC Nolan Show investigation found that cancellation emails, like the one sent to Declan, are routinely sent out before fans who are under suspicion have an opportunity to defend receiving the correspondence Declan contacted the club."I automatically panicked, thinking what's going on? "Have I been hacked?"He was told the club had discovered that in 2024 he had sold a ticket which ended up in the hands of a ticket had advertised a ticket on X and this was a breach of the official LFC terms and then transferred the ticket via Liverpool's official website to a registered later emerged that the account was linked to a ticket tout which neither Liverpool or Declan were aware of at the time. "I passed on the ticket to an official member. What has happened subsequently to that I have no idea. "But again, I can't be held accountable, surely, for something that happened 15 months ago?"I have been to games since."Declan has acknowledged that advertising on social media is a breach of LFC terms and at the time, he said he thought he was selling a ticket to a genuine fan and said he did so at less than face value."The ticket cost me £32, I sent it to an official member for £30. If I am a ticket tout I am the worst ticket tout in history," he added. 'Zero-tolerance approach' University of Liverpool's Kieran Maguire, a football finance expert and host of the Price of Football podcast, said ticket touting is a massive problem for big clubs like Liverpool. "Liverpool cancelled 100,000 fake membership accounts last year, they had 75 lifetime bans, 136 fans have been given indefinite suspensions, so it's a huge problem," he said."And no system works particularly well so therefore decent fans like Declan get caught up in it."Andy Bell, a Liverpool supporter and a contributor to the Liverpool fan site The Anfield Wrap, said Liverpool's drive to tackle ticket touts isn't working."Touting sites have these tickets available, one is going for £18,000 this weekend, so it hasn't solved the problem at all," he the BBC contacted LFC, the club refunded Declan's money, but they have refused to restore the match tickets for Declan and his family , insisting he facilitated ticket a statement, LFC said : "Liverpool Football Club takes a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of ticket touting. We thoroughly investigate all reported cases and anyone who has facilitated ticket touting and breached the club's terms and conditions will be sanctioned."We will continue to do all we can to combat all forms of ticket touting and protect genuine supporters."
