Secondary-ticketing site Viagogo is facing strong criticism in the UK, after it was found to be reselling tickets for a Teenage Cancer Trust benefit gig by Ed Sheeran.
The £75 tickets were found on Viagogo for prices of up to £1,750, leading to a strong condemnation from the charity itself.
“We firmly believe the only people who should profit from Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall are young people with cancer,” said the charity in a statement on its website.
On the night, attendees will have to bring photo ID to prove they were the original buyer of their ticket “and anyone with tickets purchased on the secondary market will not be admitted”.
Not a failsafe measure, since some Viagogo tickets stress that the buyer will be accompanied into the venue by the original buyer – essentially their guest, albeit one who’s paid massively over the listed price for that privilege. A recipe for an awkward pre-gig drink if we’ve ever heard one.
The FanFair Alliance has provided its own strong statement to the Guardian. “Leaving aside the moral repugnance of profiteering at the expense of teenage cancer sufferers, this appears a flagrant breach of consumer law and yet another reason why government intervention is so desperately needed,” said a spokesperson.
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