U.K. Government Outlines Plan to Ban Ticket Resales Over Face Value: ‘Fans Will No Longer Be Ripped Off’

UK Government Plans to Ban Ticket Resales Above Face Value, Promising Fans a Fairer Deal

The UK government has announced plans to outlaw ticket resales above face value, with the aim of protecting fans from being "ripped off" by unscrupulous sellers. The new rules, set to come into effect soon, will make it illegal for tickets to be resold for more than their original cost, plus unavoidable fees such as service charges.

The move is expected to have a significant impact on the ticketing industry, with fans and resellers alike facing stricter regulations. According to estimates, the new rules could save fans around £112 million annually, with 900,000 more tickets bought directly from primary sellers each year.

Supporters of the plan include music managers and artists, who see it as a way to restore fairness in the resale market. Dan Smith, lead singer of Bastille, described the legislation as "a good step towards protecting music fans from being ripped off". In contrast, some industry groups have expressed opposition to the plans, warning that they could stifle competition and limit ticket availability.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has also taken steps to crack down on predatory resellers. The authority secured commitments from Ticketmaster to provide fans with clearer pricing information and 24-hour notice if the company plans to use tiered pricing.

As the debate over ticket resale continues, one thing is clear: fans will no longer be at the mercy of unscrupulous sellers. With the new rules set to come into effect, fans can expect a fairer deal when it comes to buying and selling tickets to live events.

omg i totally get why they wanna ban ticket resales above face value lol my friends always say that ticket sellers are taking advantage of us and now its finally happening the £112 million savings is crazy too, that's like a whole school trip to uni every year can you imagine not having to pay that much more for tix just because some random person on eBay wants to make a quick buck? anyway, i think its a good idea, music managers and artists are all about fairness and stuff, so i trust them now lets see how it plays out in reality

I'm so down for this change . I mean, think about all those times you're trying to get tix to a festival or concert and some dodgy seller is asking like, £50 more than face value? It's just not fair, you know? And now the UK gov's stepping in to put an end to that nonsense . Plus, it's great that all these artists are on board with it – it shows they're looking out for their fans too. I can already imagine how much more affordable it'll be to get tickets to live events... and that £112 million is just the icing on the cake !

This is about time ! I mean, think about it, people are literally making a fortune off of other people's stuff... Tickets, you know? And then they just pass on the prices like no one cares, leaving fans with an arm and a leg . It's not fair, especially for those who can't afford to pay that much anyway.

I'm all for artists and music managers speaking out against this, it shows they care about their fans too . And I love that the CMA is cracking down on those greedy resellers - 24-hour notice? That's like, basic human decency . It's just common sense to make sure people know what they're getting into when buying tickets.

The estimates of saving fans £112 million a year is huge too... that's money for the arts, for new music, for actual good stuff . So yeah, I'm all in on this one . Bring it on!

This is so cool! I mean, who doesn't want to get ripped off by some sneaky ticket reseller? But seriously, £112 million saved for fans each year is pretty impressive. And if it means less stress and more fairness when buying tickets online, that's a win in my book . It's like, let's just buy the ticket from the person who originally bought it, you know? No need to get all fancy with resellers and their prices . I hope this change really does bring about a fairer deal for fans and artists alike .

The gov's planning to ban ticket resales above face value - think this is a good idea ! It'd be a real shame if people were getting scammed out of their cash for gigs . Artists & managers are already supporting it, so fingers crossed it happens soon . Guess some industries might freak out about the change, but I'm all for fairness in ticket sales . Can't believe those £112 million could be saved by fans every year... that's wild!

just read about this btw... i think its a good idea, but also kinda harsh on resellers who just wanna make some extra cash . dont get me wrong, fans deserve protection but lets not punish everyone for the unscrupulous few . maybe they could introduce a warning system or something instead of a full ban? would be interesting to see how it plays out

the good news about banning ticket resales above face value is that it's gonna make it way easier for people to cop legit tix without being taken advantage of by dodgy sellers however, i'm also worried about how this might impact the secondary market and prices overall - what if fans are left with limited options? still, i guess it's a step in the right direction towards protecting fans from exploitation

idk about this new rule ... sounds good on paper, but what about all the legit ticket resellers who have built businesses around selling extra tickets? gonna be tough for them to adapt . and what's stopping unscrupulous sellers from just being sneaky and not raising prices above face value? need some stricter enforcement on that front . also, doesn't this kinda stifle competition in the market? like, if there's no resale market, who's gonna drive ticket prices up or down naturally? . but i guess it's a step in the right direction for fans who are getting ripped off...

I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not . I mean, some artists are saying it's about fairness for the fans, but what about the resellers? They're just trying to make a living too . And with all the fees and costs involved in buying tickets from primary sellers, is it really fair to expect them to sell at a loss?

I do think it's a bit dodgy when some people can turn up to an event and snap up loads of tickets just because they're willing to pay the face value . It's like they're taking advantage of everyone else who wants to see the show.

But on the other hand, I totally get why fans would want to avoid being ripped off . If the new rules can prevent that from happening, then yeah, that's a good thing . But let's not forget about all the small businesses and resellers who are going to be affected by these changes .

I'm actually pretty curious to see how this plays out in practice . Will we start seeing more tickets being sold directly from artists or venues? Only time will tell

u know what's crazy? how some ppl make a killing off 1 ticket resale lol its all about making that extra cash, but at what cost tho? like, fans deserve a fair shot at buying the tix they wanna see their fave artists perform without bein taken advantage of

I'm not sure about this new plan ... I mean, on one hand, I totally get why fans want to be protected from getting ripped off by sellers who are just trying to make a quick buck . It's already so hard to find decent deals on tickets anyway, and the thought of having to pay more than face value for a ticket is pretty frustrating .

But at the same time, I'm worried about the impact this could have on smaller venues or independent artists who might struggle to compete with the bigger guys . And what about all the legit resellers who are just trying to make a living?

I guess only time will tell how it all plays out . One thing's for sure, though: fans deserve better than being taken advantage of by shady sellers .

A reseller's worst nightmare [a meme of a person crying in front of a laptop with a price tag on the screen]

Who needs eBay when you have ticketing websites that are already rigged against us? [GIF of a cat getting swatted away by a broom]

The real question is, who's going to make all this extra cash from ticket prices now? [a meme of a person with a money bag and a puzzled expression]

Music fans unite! We're about to get our fair share back [GIF of the Bastille band performing live with a megaphone, saying "WE'RE BACK!"]

ugh, great, just what we need, more government interference in our lives... like, who doesn't love a good resale? it's not like people are trying to make some cash on the side or anything anyway, i guess it's about time someone stood up for fans' rights... but what about those of us who actually want to buy tickets at face value? like, we don't need all these restrictions, can't we just keep things simple?

I'm so done with these greedy ticket resellers ripping off fans just for a quick buck . It's about time someone puts a stop to this nonsense! The fact that some people are already hating on the plan because it'll limit competition is just mind-boggling . Who cares if they can't make a profit off us? We're the ones paying top dollar for tickets in the first place! It's not like fans are hurting anyone by buying from primary sellers directly.

And can we talk about how much money these resellers are making?! £112 million annually is a huge sum, and it's only going to grow . The government should be doing more to crack down on these unscrupulous sellers, not just proposing some half-baked plan that might not even stick .

I'm so glad artists like Dan Smith are speaking out in support of this legislation . It's about time the music industry started putting fans first instead of lining the pockets of greedy resellers . Bring on these new rules, I say!

OMG I'm literally so down for this ! Like, who wants to get ripped off by some shady reseller? Not me, that's for sure ! It's about time the gov takes action to protect fans from getting taken advantage of . I mean, £112 million is a lot of dosh and I'm all for it being used to fund more artist collaborations . I've got friends who have been totally mugged off by resellers before and it's just not cool . I love that Dan Smith from Bastille is supporting this too, he's always been super down with his fans . Bring on the fairness and transparency in ticketing, let's make live events more accessible to everyone !