9 out of 10 feel that the ticketing industry needs to be made safer, per UK survey
70% of respondents said they would no longer consider buying resale tickets due to the risk of scams
Image: Ethan Miller / Getty Images
A recent survey conducted by ticket resale platform Ticketswap has revealed some serious calls for reform to the ticketing industry in the UK.
Among the 1999 Brits surveyed, an overwhelming 9 out of 10 believe that the ticketing industry needs to be made safer. Almost half admit to being fraud victims or know someone who has, while 70 per cent say scammers have put them off buying second-hand tickets for good.
43 per cent of respondents also say that they are put off due to scalpers driving up ticket prices. Overall, 87 per cent of people in the UK agreed that ‘ticket resale prices should be capped’, hardly a surprise considering more than half have admitted to paying over face value for a concert or festival ticket.
And when asked about dynamic pricing — the system where ticketing sites can raise prices based on demand — 69 per cent of respondents said they do not know what it is. Though when explained, more than half said they believe that practice is unfair with just 3.6 per cent in favour of the process.
In terms of how the ticketing industry should be reformed, 40 per cent called for an end to ticket fraud and scammers, a third wanted ticket resale prices to be capped to prevent being ripped off, while a quarter called for an end to dynamic pricing altogether.
Commenting on the survey results, TicketSwap’s Mike Robsinson said, “The opinion of the UK public is clear, and these results support our mission to revolutionise ticketing so that the fans come first. For too long ticket resale prices have reached extortionate levels, pricing out even the most dedicated of fans.”
“TicketSwap offers ticket prices that, more often than not, are face value or below. Our work with partners, organisers and strict user-checks allows us to protect users from fraudulent activity.”
Touted as a ‘credible’ and ‘ethical’ ticket resale marketplace, TicketSwap launched its services in the UK last November. The Dutch firm says that it offers tickets to sold-out events using proprietary technology to combat fraud. Tickets are capped at 20 per cent above face value (in line with Dutch law), with 70 per cent of stubs sold at face value or less.
