Latest news with #ticketresale
CBS News
5 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Michigan AG investigates overseas online ticket scheme targeting University of Michigan venue
The University of Michigan's Hill Auditorium has been the target of an alleged overseas online ticket resale scheme, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. Nessel's office is investigating Pure Tonic Marketing Ltd., an overseas company that prosecutors believe is based in Seychelles, and the unknown operator of Ticket Squeeze. Prosecutors allege that Pure Tonic operated the website, which, while appearing to be affiliated with the university's venue, is not. The alleged scam website reportedly advertised tickets for upcoming events at Hill Auditorium and redirected users to where Nessel alleges that tickets were sold at "grossly excessive prices," while appearing to be at "cheaper" or "low" rates. University Musical Society, a nonprofit performing arts presenter affiliated with the university, first filed a complaint with Nessel's office. The nonprofit hosts performances at Hill Auditorium and sells tickets on its official website. In one instance, a customer, believing they were buying tickets from an official outlet, paid $1,263.95 for two tickets to a Berlin Philharmonic concert through the website, officials said. Those same tickets were reportedly listed for $175 apiece through the official University Musical Society website. Nessel says that while Hill Auditorium is the focus of the initial complaint, other venues may have been targeted by the alleged scheme. "Misleading customers into thinking they are purchasing tickets from a trusted source, while charging them excessively high prices is unlawful," said Nessel in a statement. "I appreciate the University Musical Society for bringing this matter to our attention. My office will continue to investigate and pursue bad actors to protect Michigan consumers from this kind of exploitation." Sara Billmann, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the University Musical Society, says the rise of ticket resellers purchasing tickets "solely for the purpose of making money off of unsuspecting customers has been a scourge in the performing arts industry." "In addition to the direct harm caused to customers by predatory secondary market pricing and absurdly high fees, nonprofit arts organizations are also seriously impacted, both financially and reputationally," Billmann said. "We are grateful to the Attorney General's office for taking these complaints seriously and for working so hard to protect consumers." The attorney general's office says that while the university won a domain dispute against Pure Tonic in 2024, which forces to redirect to the University Musical Society's official site, another website has sprouted up and is allegedly conducting the same practice. Nessel offers the following tips for consumers when buying tickets online: If you believe you are a victim of an online ticket scam, you're urged to reach out to Michigan's Consumer Protection Team at 517-335-7599. You can also fill out an online complaint form.
Malay Mail
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Malaysia inching towards tougher laws against ticket scalpers
KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — A dedicated national anti-scalping law is moving closer to reality as two key ministries actively discuss its formulation, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil confirmed. The effort was spurred by past frustrations like the rampant ticket scalping during Coldplay's 2023 Malaysian concert. Ticket scalpers have long exploited fans' desperation for profit, leading to a surge in scalping incidents for popular concerts in recent years, and Malaysia is no exception. As Malaysian law does not explicitly banning ticket scalping — thus making the resale of tickets above face value technically legal — legal action against scalpers has been limited. 'Right now, there are active discussions between the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) and the Communications Ministry,' Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil told Malay Mail when asked for updates on the proposed legislation. Fahmi also disclosed that his deputy, Teo Nie Ching, recently held discussions with stakeholders, including local event ticketing companies and the Association of Live Event Organisers (ALIFE), on proposed measures targeting scalping explicitly for live events held locally. Some of these measures, Fahmi explained, include ID verification, which would require ticket holders to present the same identification document used at the time of purchase to match the name printed on the ticket. 'This was what happened in Indonesia... I would not say it is foolproof, but it has assisted in reducing some of these scalping activities,' he remarked. 'We will await a follow-up discussion with ALIFE, as they need to discuss with their association members and revert to us in the coming weeks,' Fahmi said, when asked if there was a definite timeline for the Bill to tabled in Parliament.
Times
22-06-2025
- Business
- Times
Premier League writes to Chelsea over Todd Boehly's ticket resale site
The Premier League has written to Chelsea to seek clarification over the club's position on ticket resales in light of Todd Boehly's ownership of the third-party ticketing website Vivid Seats. In March Chelsea supporters called on the Premier League to take action against Boehly, the club's chairman, for his ownership of the platform, which resells match tickets for thousands of pounds above their face value. Richard Masters, the Premier League's chief executive, confirmed during a meeting with the Football Supporters' Association that the league had written to Chelsea in light of the controversy. Boehly, who is part of the BlueCo consortium that owns Chelsea, is also a director of and investor in Vivid Seats, an American website that allows users based outside the UK to buy and sell tickets to concerts and sporting events. The Chelsea Supporters' Trust says Boehly has yet to respond to 'multiple opportunities' to address fans' concerns ROBBIE JAY BARRATT – AMA/GETTY IMAGES Vivid Seats was found to be selling Chelsea tickets at inflated prices, with seats for the club's home fixture against the champions Liverpool listed for up to £20,000. The platform is listed by the Premier League as an 'unauthorised ticket website', with the league urging fans to 'exercise extreme caution' when dealing with the site. It cannot be used by fans in Britain because it is illegal to resell tickets in this way in the UK. The Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) contacted the Premier League in March about the matter, while it also wrote to the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy. 'As a director of Chelsea FC and part-owner, Mr Boehly's connection with Vivid Seats is totally inappropriate and significantly undermines the efforts of Chelsea FC, the Premier League, and the Metropolitan police to combat ticket touting,' the letter said. 'The CST firmly believes that it is now time for the Premier League to act and investigate.' The CST said it had given Boehly 'multiple opportunities' to address the fans' concerns but that neither the 51-year-old American nor his representatives had responded. Masters noted that the Premier League would respond to the CST after it had finished consultations with Chelsea. Chelsea and the Premier League have been approached for comment.
The Sun
22-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Chelsea asked to explain relationship with controversial ticket website Todd Boehly part-owns after fan fury
CHELSEA have been asked to explain their relationship with ticket resale site Vivid Seats after fan fury towards Todd Boehly. Blues co-owner Boehly is a director and investor in the American firm, which listed some individual Premier League tickets for up to £20,000 last season. 2 2 The Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) wrote to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters in March saying they were "dismayed" by the connection. Blues supporters also said Boehly's position felt like a "breach of trust" and a "clear conflict of interest". Vivid Seats, who often sell tickets at inflated rates, is listed on the Premier League website as an unauthorised ticket website. The league has even told fans to "exercise extreme caution" when purchasing from Vivid Seats. Masters met with the Football Supporters Association last month and revealed the Premier League have now contacted Chelsea and that the matter is "ongoing". The minutes from the meeting between the FSA and Masters, which included CST vice-chair Dom Rosso, read: "RM [Masters] confirmed the PL had written to Chelsea to seek clarification on the club's position with the matter ongoing. "RM advised the PL would reply to CST once the PL had concluded its discussions with the club." Chelsea took strong action against ticket touts earlier this season. They told supporters in an email that they had cancelled 1,500 membership accounts where a link to ticket touting had been identified. Chelsea have been contacted for comment.
Entrepreneur
19-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Fighting the Touts: How Twickets Took a Stand Against Ticket Resale Greed
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. "As a team we were sick of the profiteering in ticket resale," he says. "But we weren't sure whether enough event goers believed the same way, and whether there was a business in capping resale prices at face value." Twickets, founded in 2011, started not as a tech platform but as a Twitter account, @Twickets, where users could post spare tickets for sale - so long as they didn't charge more than face value. "As luck would have it, there was plenty of inventory to share to our followers, and we very quickly reached 10,000's of followers," Davies says. That early traction gave him and his team the confidence to invest in building out a full trading platform. Today, Twickets has evolved into a web and app-based service where buyers and sellers can exchange tickets safely, with the company acting as a trusted intermediary. But Twickets wasn't just solving a problem for fans. The team quickly realised that inflated resale prices were hurting the live events industry itself. "If event goers spend more on their tickets to a gig / festival etc then they'll have less money to buy tickets to future shows, on merchandise or even food and drinks at the venue," Davies explains. "So everyone was losing out other than the ticket touts." This insight became the foundation of Twickets' growth strategy. Rather than compete with industry stakeholders, they partnered with them. "We approached hundreds of artists, comedians, venues, festivals and even box offices to be their official resale partner," says Davies. "Receiving their endorsement meant not just a seal of authenticity but also a rapidly growing stream of inventory hitting our platform." Now a profitable and recognised player in the live entertainment world, Davies is also vocal about the lessons he's learned from past ventures - particularly when it comes to funding. "I learned from one of my previous start ups that wherever possible stay away from PE / VC funding, and keep control of your business," he says. "It's something I applied to Twickets and fortunately we've only ever had to take a small amount of investment... from high net worth individuals who can also help grow our business." His advice to UK startup founders? Keep it lean and grounded: "Test your concept as much as you possibly can before you launch. And when you're finally ready to go, start small and focused, looking to grow steadily and sustainably." And most importantly, he adds, "Where you can, either self-finance or seek investment from those you trust, in order to stay in control of your business." Twickets' success may not have come from disrupting an industry with flashy tech or aggressive VC backing - but in standing up for fairness and long-term trust. It turns out, that's a business model that fans and founders alike can believe in.
