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FanFair publishes a guide for getting a refund from Viagogo
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 7 August 2017
Anti-ticket-touting campaigners the FanFair Alliance have published a guide for people seeking a refund from a secondary ticketing platform – and especially the once occasionally and now constantly controversial Viagogo – based on the experiences of Claire Turnham, who set up the Victims Of Viagogo group on Facebook after her own run-in with the site.
The new guide went properly live following the latest expose of the secondary ticketing market, this time on the BBC’s consumer rights shindig ‘Watchdog’.
The programme had a particular focus on Viagogo – the once chatty ticket resale site that’s now based out of a bunker in Switzerland and a secret hidden room in London – and featured customers who believed they had been missold tickets by the firm and who were now struggling to get their money back.
Turnham’s Victims Of Viagogo group has helped disgruntled customers reclaim over £100,000 from the secondary ticketing firm since it launched earlier this year.
Meanwhile the music community led FanFair-campaign, with backing from MPs like Sharon Hodgson and Nigel Adams, has got ticket touting back on the political agenda in the UK. Campaigners would like existing ticket resale regulations to be better enforced plus new rules introduced. FanFair has also criticised how Viagogo in particular uses Google advertising so that when customers search for tickets for big in-demand tours, an official-looking link to touted tickets on the secondary site comes at the top of the list.
Commenting on the new mini-guide produced with Turnham, FanFair Campaign Manager Adam Webb said: “A properly-functioning secondary market should work in the interests of consumers, and enable those who genuinely need to resell a ticket to do so at the price they paid for it. However, as was highlighted by BBC1’s ‘Watchdog’, the business model promoted by Viagogo looks to be more about profiteering at the audiences’ expense – persistently masquerading as an ‘official site’ in its online advertising, employing high-pressure sales techniques and potentially breaching consumer law”.
He went on: “Unfortunately, we continue to hear from ticket-buyers who are extremely frustrated when seeking redress from Viagogo, which is why FanFair has teamed up with Claire Turnham to produce some comprehensive guidance to help them secure a refund. This is not an easy process, but – having been supported by Ed Sheeran’s management and promoters – we are pleased to report that Claire’s advice is already proving useful”.
Turnham herself added: “If you are distressed and desperately seeking a refund, I urge you to persevere. It’s not an easy process but it is possible to reclaim your money. Keep referring to our self-help guide and connect with others for support. You can do this!”
