A new event ticketing standard has been introduced by the Australian Government to help ticket buyers make informed decisions when purchasing tickets from online resellers.
Under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), online ticket resellers will have to clearly disclose that they are a reseller and not a primary ticket provider, as well as the ticket’s original cost. This information must be clearly displayed on the reseller’s website.
The new changes will complement the Western Australia (WA) Ticket Scalping Act, which came into effect in September 2021.
The Act means that it is illegal for online resellers to sell most tickets in Western Australia for more than 10% of the original price.
Over the last year, Consumer Protection has been enforcing the new measures by issuing notices to online resellers and investigating complaints received from buyers. Fines can range from A$20,000 (£16,000/€19,000) for individuals and $100,000 for businesses, with even higher penalties for those using ‘bots’ to purchase tickets in bulk – which is also illegal in WA.
Gary Newcombe, Commissioner for Consumer Protection, said: “Earlier this year, online ticket reseller Viagogo was named as being under investigation for possible breaches of the WA Ticket Scalping Act due to tickets on their website being sold illegally for more than 110% of the original price.
“While this investigation into Viagogo is ongoing, the introduction of the new Australian standard means WA ticket buyers can have more confidence that they are purchasing tickets for events across the country from online resellers at a fair price, and their usual consumer rights under the ACL will apply.”
Newcombe added that customers should do their research before purchasing tickets from online resellers, and that buying tickets from overseas resellers could be risky. He also said to buy through an authorised Australian website using a credit card for extra protection.