ACCC chair Rod Sims said: Viagogos business practices were unacceptable. Find out more about fact-checking at CHOICE. PLEASE REPORT THEM TO PREVENT MORE VICTIM! As part of the listing process, the Seller assigns a price to the tickets and provides information including but not limited to the event, date, section, seat, and row, and sale end date, all in accordance with the process outlined in the help pages. He described one category of representations as having been made on an industrial scale. Meanwhile, the federal government recently released a consultation paper proposing a new Information Standard for ticket resellers. your Partner visa was cancelled by the Minister (unless you have requested for it to be cancelled) or. "Viagogo has also failed to specify, in a prominent way, a single price for tickets advertised for sale.. Plaintiffs claim Viagogo is denying consumers refunds that arose because of the mass event cancellations stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took Viagogo to court over its practices when reselling tickets for entertainment, music and live sport events. The message from Viagogo is "please note these tickets may not be available again if you abandon them''. First, don't use Viagogo. The title at the beginning of each paragraph of this Agreement is for reference purposes only and in no way defines, limits, construes or describes the scope or extent of such paragraph. ! 6.1 No Warranty. Enter a valid email address (e.g. You also agree not to separately contact the Buyer at any time for any reason. The Seller will be paid 5 - 8 days after event if the delivery of the tickets was successful to the buyer. These will not be refunded to you just because your application, nomination or sponsorship was refused or unsuccessful. Except as noted in Section 2.9 a), the Seller must confirm the order within forty eight (48) hours of the sale of the tickets. "The current investigation shows that despite commitments made by Viagogo it is apparent this practice of offering tickets for sale at prices way above their original cost continues to be facilitated through its website, Ms Petinos said. Typically, upon the Buyer completing the transaction, We collect payment from the Buyer for the listed price, booking fees, delivery fees, and taxes on our fees. drawing in customers with a headline price and then dripping in additional fees during the booking process also known as 'drip pricing'. Viagogo is once again in the NSW Governments sights with a new public warning being issued amid ongoing complaints from frustrated consumers regarding the Switzerland-based ticket reseller. you did not use your RRV for any travel(regardless of the reason). You also warrant that you own the tickets and are authorized to transfer or resell the tickets. Viagogo's terms and conditions offer a refund or a voucher worth 125% for cancelled events, but not if they are postponed. I brought a Westlife ticket from Perth Australia for their concert in Singapore on the 16th February 2023. Todays $7m penalty sends a strong signal to businesses like Viagogo conducting business in Australia that they cannot get away with profiting from misleading Australian consumers about the price of the tickets they are selling, or other misleading conduct.. Tickets may be substituted with comparable or better seat locations without the Buyers approval. If a Seller sends tickets that are not consecutive, but listed them as so, viagogo may charge the seller a replacement fee and other charges, as specified in Section 5. -Discover the hottest events in your area. Released by: Note that Your payment may be withheld if you violate this clause. Ticket reseller Viagogo AG has been ordered by the Federal Court to pay a penalty of $7 million for breaching the Australian Consumer Law by making false or misleading representations when reselling tickets for live music and sports event, in proceedings brought by the ACCC. A new screen will display that allows you to begin your refund request. Under no circumstances is viagogo liable for any additional costs You incur if you purchase tickets from a third party for tickets you were unable to purchase on viagogo. Third, watch out for drip pricing. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission alleges the Swiss-based company, which has come under fire for heavy mark-ups, hidden fees, cancelled events and failure to provide refunds . The. Here are our four CHOICE tips for safe ticket buying. If you complete the form, you must return it to Viagogo within 10 working days to get a refund. Viagogo will never pay you after you sold your tickets and you can never get back your money. Except as expressly stated otherwise, all notices to viagogo shall be sent through the email form provided on the Site under the Contact Us link. Piggyback tickets may not be sold in the same listing. Form 1424 - Refund request. In what appears to be an all-encompassing reach for self-exoneration, the Google spokesperson tells us "we are not the regulator of secondary ticketing". "The misrepresentations were on an industrial scale for the relevant period," Justice Burley said. "Todays $7 million penalty sends a strong signal to businesses like Viagogo conducting business in Australia that they cannot get away with profiting from misleading Australian consumers about the price of the tickets they are selling," he said in a statement. He'd been ripped off, and getting his money back from Viagogo was a months-long ordeal that took a toll on Dugald's mental and physical health. Provide documentary evidence with your request to support your claim. To be a member of this Site, You must agree to accept the terms in this Agreement. ACCC has fined ticket reseller Viagogo $7m for misleading Australian consumers by charging significantly more than its advertised price for popular events such as the Ashes and the musical, The Book of Mormon. CH-270.3.014.628-0 with the registered address: viagogo AG, Rue du Commerce 4, 1204, Genve, Switzerland, 7.5 Miscellaneous. The Viagogo ticket refund class action lawsuit was filed by Lauren Shiflett, who says she bought two Tool concert tickets through viagogo.com, under the belief that the company would honor its "Viagogo Guarantee" and give her a refund if the event was canceled. Given the extent of these refund liabilities, I thought there was almost no chance of Viagogo getting any commercial loan. You may only use the Services if You can legally enter into and form binding contracts. The court also ordered Viagogo to conduct a compliance program and pay the ACCCs costs. CHOICE report: Ticket resellers Viagogo and Ticketmaster Reseller gouging Australians. The ACCC enforces the Australian Consumer Law which applies to tickets as well as other consumer goods and services. viagogo is a global online platform for live sport, music and entertainment tickets. Fair Trading minister Eleni Petinos said consumers have lodged 510 complaints since June 2018, with claims of "tickets being sold at hugely inflated prices". This Agreement (and all documents incorporated by reference) constitutes the entire agreement between the parties pertaining to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, whether written or oral. Viagogo is often the first site that comes up on Google when you search using one of the many ticket and event-related search terms that Viagogo has bought from Google. The switcheroo could mean a currency conversion fee from your bank. From the 'My Payments' drop-down tab, select 'Manage Payments', Previous payments and their status will be displayed. Sellers will be able to see the service fee and taxes on our fees before completing the sell process and committing to sell their tickets. When it hits zero, your chance to see your favourite band or sporting event may have come to an end at least that's what you could reasonably assume. PLEASE DO NOT TRUST VIAGOGO! viagogo aims to provide ticket buyers with the widest possible choice of tickets to events across the world, and helps ticket sellers ranging from individuals with a spare ticket to large multinational event organizers reach a global audience. How do I find tickets I've already downloaded? Viagogo are reportedly "refusing" to offer music fans refunds for gigs cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Genuine tickets had not been available eight months before the match, when Docherty bought his fake tickets on Viagogo. We at CHOICE acknowledge the Gadigal people, the traditional custodians of this land on which we work, and pay our respects to the First Nations people of this country. In another case related to Elton John, a consumer, Glenn, got in touch with us to describe a typical Viagogo runaround. you lose thetravel facility remaining on your previous visa when your RRV is granted. $287 for two tickets to Paw Patrol when the face value of the tickets was $29, or $58 for two. You acknowledge and agree that the foregoing disclaimers and limitations of liability represent reasonable allocations of risk, and that the pricing and other terms and conditions of this agreement reflect such allocations of risk. We made the case to Google Australia that Viagogo is still up to its old tricks. She was told that up to 200 people had also been turned away due to fake tickets. Can I buy tickets that are personalised with someone else's name on them? I haven't received an email confirming my order. Note that the Seller may or may not be required to charge you sales or value added tax on the sale of your ticket. the price it is sold for on the primary market). Viagogo ranks 177th among Tickets sites. The Commerce Commission announced in August it's taking the Switzerland-based company to the High Court, seeking declarations it's breached the Fair Trading Act. When it comes to transactions between Australian-based consumers and off-shore businesses, I urge consumers to heed our warnings and refrain from doing business with companies such as Viagogo that refuse to comply with Australian law, Ms Petinos said. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their cultures and to their elders past, present and emerging. 3. viagogo reserves the right to prohibit anyone who brings a fraudulent claim from having further access to our website. ", In other cases, the price started off in Aussie dollars but the final charge was in Euros. When We receive an offer by credit or debit card, We obtain an authorization from the Buyer's credit or debit card equal to the price, booking fees and delivery fees for the tickets. Can I pick up my tickets instead of having them shipped? The court found Viagogo's use of phrases such as "only a few tickets left" was deceptive because they related to tickets available through its own website not the overall availability of tickets to an event. The court also outlined that it saw the penalty as a warning to other companies in the sector that they were subject to Australian Consumer Law. We are not involved in the actual transactions between Buyers and Sellers. Read more: In imposing the penalty of $7 million, Justice Burley described the misrepresentations as seriousor very serious, and considered the conduct demonstrated a level of deliberateness. Viagogo pays search engines like Google to appear at the top of search results for major events. 3.3 Laws and Regulations. Todays $7m penalty sends a strong signal to businesses like Viagogo conducting business in Australia that they cannot get away with profiting from misleading Australian consumers about the price of the tickets they are selling, or other misleading conduct.. This is so we can promote the sale of tickets and items that You list for sale. (The final Australian dollar price for our two tickets was $445.). In imposing the hefty penalty, justice Stephen Barley said the companys conduct demonstrated a level of deliberateness, describing one category of representations as having been made on an industrial scale. 2.1 Requirements. They can't be trusted. If your application is outstanding but you no longer wish to proceed with the application you need to: Follow these steps to check the status of your payment and request a refund: Generally, you will not be givena refund just because: If you think we made a mistake that caused you to lodge your RRV application in error, let us know. the application was made because of a mistake by the applicantand it is withdrawn in writing before a decision is made. 2.4 Listing. They're appealing the fine and have been granted a stay order, meaning they don't have to pay until the appeal is heard. As a Buyer, You grant viagogo permission to charge your credit card, debit card, PayPal account, or bank account for the purchase of the selected tickets. ! It has been fined in Italy and . Also, buyers only pay once they have been to the event and had no issues. We may also first deduct any amount you owe us from any amount we owe you. Viagogo are reportedly "refusing" to offer music fans refunds for gigs cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. Instead, try searching for the official website of the band or venue. They are suggesting that I relist those potentially fraudulent tickets, which does not guarantee that I would ever receive a refund. 1.4 Modification. "It fundamentally misled consumers as to the nature of Viagogo's business in order to attract consumers to acquire tickets," he said. Thus, the ticket price shown (before our fees) may include sales or value added tax (US or other) as appropriate. Your rating will help us improve the website. Since that time, we have overhauled our platform a process that included consultation with consumer protection regulators in a number of countries., We are carefully considering todays decision and for that reason we cannot provide further comment at this time.. The watchdog also successfully pursued the company over its added fees, which included a 27.6 per cent booking fee that applied to most tickets in the 2017 period. CHOICE supports the First Nations people's Uluru Statement from the Heart. Read more in the Viagogo ACCC media release Responsibilities of ticket resellers About ticket resellers A ticket reseller is a business that resells event tickets that have previously been purchased from a primary ticket seller. In the event you are reselling tickets for commercial reasons, you warrant that you have the right to do so. NSW Fair Trading previously issued a public warning against Viagogo in August 2017. Media Team - 1300 138 917, media@accc.gov.au, Viagogo to pay $7 million for misleading consumers, Not receiving products or services that are paid for, Receiving unrequested products or services, Problem with a product or service you bought, Unauthorised transfer of phone or internet services, Supplying products or services that are paid for, Supplying unrequested products or services, Problem with a product or service you sold, Competing fairly in professional services, Competition and anti-competitive behaviour, Collective bargaining and collective boycotts, Implementing a business compliance program, Electricity market monitoring inquiry 2018-25, Postal services price notification and monitoring, Interstate rail network access undertaking, Hunter Valley rail network access undertaking, International liner cargo shipping regulation, Telecommunications industry record keeping and reporting rules, National Broadband Network (NBN) access regulation, Non-NBN fixed line services access regulation, Superfast fixed line broadband networks regulation, Transmission services and facility access regulation, Telstra's migration of fixed line services, Regional mobile infrastructure inquiry 2022-23, Exemption from parts of the wheat port code, The development of bulk wheat exports regulation, Digital platform services inquiry 2020-2025, Retail electricity pricing inquiry 2017-2018, Feminine hygiene products price monitoring, Foreign currency conversion services inquiry, Murray-Darling Basin water markets inquiry, Residential mortgage products price inquiry, Digital platform services inquiry 2020-25, Digital advertising services inquiry report, MVIS information for data providers, repairers and RTOs, Authorisations and notifications registers, Collective bargaining notifications register, Resale price maintenance notifications register, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, UniSA & ACCC Competition Law & Economics Workshop, Mergers and Competition Exemptions consultations, Industry ombudsmen and dispute resolution, took action against Viagogo in August 2017, the court found Viagogo had misled consumers, contact their state or territorys fair trading or consumer affairs agency. viagogo reserves the right at any time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Site or any part of the Site with or without notice. Those phrases "had the effect of drawing the consumer further into a marketing web and also a transactional web", the judge said. 7.2 Copyright. Piggyback tickets are for seats that are directly behind each other.To list as a Seller, You must provide a valid credit or debit card. Tickets to the Book of Mormon musical were advertised at $135, but were actually sold for $177.45, including booking and handling fees. In the case where multiple different Buyers are sharing the cost of a transaction and each paying part of the total amount (i.e. Ticketing site Viagogo will have to sell all of StubHub's business outside North America to satisfy competition concerns. 2.10 Collecting Payment. Protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams by companies or individuals. 4.2 Stolen Property. When our tickets were not provided they refused to provide a refund . Service 195 Value 190 Shipping 165 Returns 160 Quality 175 This company does not typically respond to reviews Positive reviews (last 12 months): 2.4% All sales and bids are final. 4. If the Seller is required to account for Tax on the sale of the ticket, the Seller should include the Tax (i.e., total) when setting ticket prices on the website. Viagogo misled thousands of consumers into buying tickets at inflated prices when they created a false sense of urgency by suggesting tickets were scarce and when they advertised tickets at a lower price by not including unavoidable fees.. We take no responsibility for such issues. First result is the viagogo site, clicks on it looks legit, goes though the motions to buy tickets at Sky City, almost saves herself by balking at the extreme cost of A reserve seats ($520 for 2) then the booking fee of $190 plus other costs/fees/charges but ultimately went thru with it because she didn't want to miss out. viagogo strongly supports law enforcement efforts to recover stolen property that is listed on the Site, and urges the prosecution of those responsible for knowingly attempting to sell such items on viagogo. And I had to chase for my tickets. In the event that the Buyer fails to return a Season Card to viagogo within 24 hours of the event concluding, the Buyer agrees that viagogo may charge an additional failure to return fee of 200 per season card that is not returned to the payment method that was used to purchase the tickets. If the re-seller is refusing to refund, contact your bank and ask how to file a dispute against the charge made on your card. The ACCC took action against Viagogo in August 2017, and in April 2019 the court found Viagogo had misled consumers. Given its chequered past, it's no surprise that its recent re-entry on Google coincided with a resurgence of Viagogo complaints to NSW Fair Trading. It is headquartered in the United States and owned by StubHub Holdings. My event is cancelled or postponed - What do I do? Ticket reseller Viagogo AG has been ordered by the Federal Court to pay a penalty of $7 million for breaching the Australian Consumer Law by making false or misleading representations when reselling tickets for live music and sports event, in proceedings brought by the ACCC. From 1 May 2017 to 26 June 2017, Viagogos website attracted consumers by advertising a headline price which did not specify a total price for tickets. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Closing of accounts or opening and maintaining more than one account does not alter your total liability to us, and we may combine amounts due to us from multiple accounts. Copyright (c) 2006-2023, viagogo AG. The company also said it could not release details of 15 specific transactions requested by NSW Fair Trading in a statutory notice to provide information, citing Swiss law. Except for the express warranties stated in this agreement, viagogo provides the software, site and services on an "as is" basis and "as available" basis without any warranties of any kind. 2.9 Seller's Confirmation Obligation. The company has been the target of customer complaints, industry backlash and court action overseas. Last year, a Federal Court judge found the Swiss-based company had breached Australian Consumer Law and made false or misleading representations. Once Buyer and Seller have entered into a transaction, all transactions are covered by the viagogo Guarantee. "Viagogo argued that I couldn't get my money from the sale until after the event, and only if the new purchaser was able to enter successfully, even though I was not the original purchaser of the tickets and had never had them in my possession," Glenn told us. Generally, a VAC willonly be refunded in certain circumstances, including if: If you reverse or cancel a payment for your application: Refunds for the Skilling Australians Fund Levy are only possible for limited reasons. 2.3 Username and Password. Prices are set by sellers and may be below or above face value.". 3.4 Indemnity. Yet we didn't see any mention on Viagogo that our tickets may be duds, and Viagogo refused to acknowledge to media in the recent Elton John case that the rejected tickets were fake. In the rare instance that a problem arises and the original ticket Seller does not provide You with the tickets listed for sale, viagogo will, in its sole and absolute discretion, review comparably priced tickets and offer You replacement tickets at no additional cost, or viagogo will issue You a refund for the cost of the tickets. Stock images:Getty, unless otherwise stated. 2.5 Tax on Seller Proceeds. Since 2018, Google has required ticket reseller platforms to demonstrate they meet a number of requirements in order to place ads with us. On termination, Your items may be de-listed if You are a Seller and Your purchases may be cancelled if you are a Buyer. "When it comes to transactions between Australian-based consumers and off-shore businesses, I urge consumers to heed our warnings and refrain from doing business with companies such as Viagogo that refuse to comply with Australian law," Ms Petinos said. When You purchase tickets on viagogo, viagogo guarantees that You will receive the tickets You paid for in time for the event. For copies of recently issued ministerial press releases or information on the election policies of any political party as they relate to this department/agency or its portfolio area, please go directly to the website of the relevant political party. When listing seated tickets, all tickets in the same listing must be consecutive seats. This includes, without limitation, material that announces a website or invites the Buyer to visit a website other than viagogo, catalogues, business cards, business reply cards, bookmarks, coupons, flyers, solicitations or other marketing or advertising material. Consumers with queries about their state or territorys ticket reselling laws should contact their state or territorys fair trading or consumer affairs agency. -Skip the queue - buy your tickets in just two taps. I bought 2 blackpink ticket a month before the concert for 550eur per person. To sell tickets, a Seller lists the tickets in the Site database. Viagogo does not pay sellers unt. Ticket reseller Viagogo has been fined $7 million for misleading Australian consumers with Google advertisements, added fees and claims about the scarcity of tickets. 1.2 Ticketing Exchange. Infogram. Should you experience problems with your tickets on the day of the event you must contact viagogo within 48 hours of the incident to report the issue. Viagogos responses were described by the judge as giving it the appearance of being a company that is indifferent to the interests of Australian consumers and which prefers to elevate its own profit motives above those interests, even when on notice of the potential for harm being done. Accordingly, no ministerial press releases or related information issued by the Government from this date will be available on this website. Invalid tickets are defined as anything where buyers are refused entry. You agree that We shall not be liable to You or any third party for any modification, suspension or discontinuance of the Site or any Services under this agreement, for any reason. Viagogo was ordered by the Federal Court to pay a penalty of $7 million. We do not control the information provided by other users which is made available through the Site. ACCC Chair Rod Sims said: Viagogos business practices were unacceptable. 2.14 Substituted Seat Locations. Viagogo has a consumer rating of 1.27 stars from 1,776 reviews indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Key points: Viagogo has been a target of consumer and industry backlash The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission reprimanded the ticket reseller for misleading advertising We may take any action that We deem appropriate in our sole discretion including without limitation issuing a warning, suspending or terminating service, denying access, removing a listing or recommending You edit a listing. Therefore, you will only be reimbursed if you return the tickets to us no later than June 5, 2019. 3.1 Accurate Descriptions. For a list of these situations see The world's largest selection of tickets is now at your fingertips - find the perfect tickets today with the viagogo app. We pay respect to the Traditional Custodians and First Peoples of NSW, and acknowledge their continued connection to their country and culture. From the actions menu, select the 'Request Refund' option. The standard would require ticket resale websites to show the original face value of tickets and disclose the fact that the websites are not the original ticket sellers. The authorization will remain on the Buyer's credit or debit card until the sale is completed or the order is cancelled. According to the consumer group Which?, Viagogo's terms and conditions say . Anti-ticket-touting campaigners the FanFair Alliance .
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