Leadership / 02.27.18

'Ticket-Touting on Steroids' — U.K. Body Surprised Hong Kong Sevens Is Using Viagogo as Online Reseller for Tickets

Access Staff

Original article published on South China Morning Post (02/27/18) by Nazvi Careem

The Hong Kong Sevens organizers' partnership with online secondary market ticket seller Viagogo has surprised the U.K.-based FanFair Alliance, given the vendor was jettisoned as a sponsor by the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) last year. "The brand has so much negative publicity because they rip people off and I'm surprised that people would want to partner them," says the FanFair Alliance's Adam Webb. "The way they distort prices on the market, it's ticket-touting on steroids." Viagogo's British website was reportedly selling tickets for the Six Nations Calcutta Cup rugby match between Scotland and England at up to 10 times the highest face value sold by the SRU. Tickets available on Viagogo for the match also lacked seat numbers, in violation of the U.K.'s Consumer Rights Act for stadiums with allocated seating. Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU) CEO Robbie McRobbie says his organization's top priority "is ensuring that those who want to purchase tickets for the Sevens can do so with maximum convenience and confidence, both in our public ticket sale as well as via the secondary ticket market. To date, our use of Viagogo has been successful in this effort, particularly with their provided guarantee for consumers that all purchases made through Viagogo are guaranteed genuine and subject to full refunds if not." McRobbie also stresses the HKRU "is aware of the recent issues surrounding secondary ticket resellers in the United Kingdom and are in contact presently with our local Viagogo representatives to learn more about this issue."

Read the full story on the South China Morning Post website. 

Tags: Sports , Reselling , News , Secondary Ticketing