The UK's competition watchdog has launched an investigation into the way tickets were sold for next year's reunion concerts from iconic 1990s Britpop band Oasis.
In a statement Thursday, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its investigation into Live Nation Entertainment's unit Ticketmaster will look specifically at “dynamic pricing," whereby prices can vary rapidly in light of changing market conditions.
Many Oasis fans who queued online at the Ticketmaster site for many hours on Saturday complained that they ended up paying more than double the face value of the ticket as a result of this dynamic pricing.
The watchdog said it would scrutinize whether the sale of Oasis tickets by Ticketmaster may have breached consumer protection law and whether the company engaged in unfair commercial practices.
The band is led by brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, who said in a statement Wednesday that they knew nothing about “dynamic pricing,” that they leave matters around ticketing to their management team.
Formed in Manchester in 1991, Oasis was one of the dominant British acts of the 1990s, producing hits including “Wonderwall," “Champagne Supernova” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger.” Its sound was fueled by singalong rock choruses and the combustible chemistry between guitarist-songwriter Noel Gallagher and singer sibling Liam.
Oasis split in 2009, with Noel Gallagher quitting the band after a backstage dustup with his brother at a festival near Paris. While the Gallagher brothers, now aged 57 and 51, haven’t performed together since, both regularly perform Oasis songs at their solo gigs. They’ve also fired off criticisms of each other in the press.
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Abe234
Dynamic pricing. Corporate speak for ripping customers off, creaming in as much money as possible, and then turning around and saying to those who can’t afford it, “that’s just business . “suck it up!” when really they’re just ticket touts on a digital platform. If loads of people want a ticket they just jack up those prices. Sometimes I think I like the Japanese system. Apply, let the lottery decide if it’s too popular, but atleast I understand I’m not get screwed over by the company. Or if a ticket is available we pay the face value. But the groups themselves could put a stop to this.(if they really thought of the fans). Just say this is the price, I’m happy, the fans are happy the company is happy. Hotels are not canceling bookings and jacking up the prices too. Well out of order. Rip off Britain is back! Dynamic pricing! My @55.
falseflagsteve
Too many greedy guts about these days, don’t half make me ruddy cross.
Well I recall in the 90’s laying a tenner for gigs in central London of all places. Well, things certainly have changed haven’t they?
wallace
The law must state tickets can only be sold for face value.
carpslidy
Dynamic pricing is unfortunately now common for sports events in Japan
falseflagsteve
Carpslidy
Id never heard about it before this Oasis lark. What is the world coming to eh.
kohakuebisu
This is bait and switch.
People were told the price of each grade of ticket, started queuing, and then after a long wait to reach the front, were told the same tickets were now three times the price. Not "no low-grade tickets left, so you'll have to buy VIP tickets" but "low grade tickets are still available, but now cost three times more than they did an hour ago".
This is clearly unethical.
Abe234
Those in favour of dynamic pricing actually think it might be good because they think they’ll get it cheaper, when the fact is, it either gets jacked up or it’s face value. We can see that the parent company dealing with the tickets was ….American!!!!! Imagine the uproar if we had dynamic pricing for food at the supermarket. Rip off!!!! And they all point the finger at someone else.
my guess is the downvoters want to rip people off.
Taylor swift had the same problem and the artist just wants to wash their hands of it. Blaming their management, who intern blame the ticket vendors who intern refer it back to the singers, and their management.
MilesTeg
So Live Nation/Ticketmaster are essentially scalpers....scalping their own tickets based upon the bogus premise of 'changing market conditions'. So if demand plummets, they'll suddenly lower the price for tickets?
0rei0
First thing the CMA should do is get a breakdown to see how many tickets were actually sold at the original price and make this public knowledge- There's no doubt today's consumer is being ripped off every which way.
I wouldn't be surprised if the figure turns out to be negligible.
0rei0
I would hazard a guess , with the likes of J.Lo cancelling her US tour (Ticketed by Live Nation), not.
Rumour has it that ticket sales were low, although the official line was;
“Jennifer is taking time off to be with her children, family and close friends”.
Other big names have cancelled, or rescheduled smaller venues/ postponed.
People are getting wise: I hope the CMA scupper this scam business.