MPs urge gig-goers to avoid buying tickets from Viagogo

A new report by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee states that Viagogo has "caused distress for too many music fans for too long."

MP Damian Collins stated the Committee had taken the "unusual step of issuing a warning... against using a major secondary ticketing site until it complies fully with consumer law."

The report also stated, "We believe that Viagogo has yet to prove itself a trustworthy operator given its history of resisting compliance, court orders and parliamentary scrutiny, and flouting consumer law."

Google was also criticised in the report for hosting Viagogo adverts, "It is time for companies such as Google to take more responsibility and act against such advertising, or else be considered to be knowingly making money out of fraudulent selling."

Viagogo has been known for re-selling tickets to gigs at a much higher price, and not informing buyers of the validity of tickets leading to fans being turned away when trying to enter shows.

NME reported a spokesperson for the ticket site responded to the report, "We are disappointed that the DCMS have singled us out particularly, when hundreds of thousands of British citizens use our service to buy and sell tickets to their favourite live events every day and never experience any problems. We provide an invaluable service to UK consumers by giving them access to events in the UK and all over the world."

Last month Lewis Capaldi called out the site on Twitter, "also if you bought to resell on viagogo you're the fucking worst & i'll find a way to get them cancelled."

The site had added nearly tripled the face value of his tour tickets. Speaking to the Scottish Sun, Capaldi said, "To suggest that £66, which is nearly three times the original ticket price, is modest for a ticket to see someone who hasn’t even released an album yet is absolutely fucking ridiculous. It’s in no way a reflection of my rise in popularity or talent and is more an indicator that Viagogo is a website for money grabbing bastards to scam people out of cash."