LONDON (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Culture secretary Tessa Jowell and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has made some moves combat ticket touts, such as clearer resale information and exchange facilities, but has said the most “important” events may need more regulation.
British concert promoters, however, have announced that they are disappointed that the DCMS rejected a band on reselling tickets for a profit.
Jowell has been viewed as reluctant to enforce a full clampdown on touts, with events like the Concert for Diana seeing tickets resold for five times their face value on sites like eBay within minutes of going on sale.
“We want to address the problems faced by fans – paying through the nose for a ticket with a poor view or handing over cash for a ticket that never existed,” Jowell said, according to the BBC.
“Progress has been made but we’re going to continue to work with the industry to cut off the commercial opportunities for ticket touts and stamp out unfair practices.
“But it would be unfair if consumers were unable to sell their own tickets, for whatever reason, and get their money back – we don’t want to criminalise genuine fans.”
A spokesman for the Concert Promoters’ Association told the news service that group members will be pressuring the DCMS for new laws banning ticket resale.
“We welcome the secretary of state’s clear statement that the government are against anyone reselling a ticket for commercial gain,” a statement read, “but we are frustrated that they have still not acted to give us the necessary tools to self-police our touts.” –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
