Google clamps down on ticket resale sites

Google will impose tough new restrictions on ticket resale companies to prevent music and theatre fans needlessly paying above face value on websites such as Viagogo and StubHub.

In a move celebrated by fans’ campaign groups, ticket resale companies will be barred from claiming to be an “official” source of tickets in Google results when they are actually selling them secondhand.

From March next year, Google will also require resale platforms to disclose in a prominent position on their site if their ticket prices are higher than face value.

Resale sites will also have to be certified by Google before they can use its AdWords service, which lets companies pay to appear at the top of its rankings.

Google said the measures were designed to “protect customers from scams and prevent potential confusion”.

A recent analysis of 100 UK tours by artists artists ranging from Metallica to hip-hop outfit Run the Jewels found that a secondary ticketing website had paid to top the Google search rankings on 77% of occasions.

Campaign group FanFair Alliance, which is backed by the music industry and performed the research, said customers this meant fans often ended up buying tickets from touts at inflated prices, even when face-value tickets were available.

The alliance said: “FanFair’s own research has illustrated the extent to which Viagogo, StubHub and Get Me In! use paid search to dominate Google rankings. They make little indication that they are secondary ticketing platforms.

“As a result, fans have been systematically directed towards touted tickets, even when primary inventory is still available from authorised ticket sellers.

“We are pleased that Google have listened to concerns on this issue, and have acted in an assertive manner and on a global basis.

“We look forward to seeing further details – but this move should be a major step forward in cleaning up the secondary market, as we anticipate more regulatory and legislative action to come.”

The Competition and Markets Authority opened an investigation into the secondary ticketing market last year, raising concerns about firms’ compliance with regulations designed to protect consumers.

It followed a string of revelations about the power wielded by ticket touts using resale platforms to charge huge mark-ups for concerts, profit from charity events and sell tickets that could see fans turned away from eagerly anticipated events.

The Guardian revealed last month that the CMA raided the offices of StubHub and Viagogo as part of its inquiry.

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