LONDON (CelebrityAccess) The U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority has banned Ticketmaster from claiming tickets with the term “Platinum” are the “best available” tickets at a concert.
The ASA claims that branding Platinum tickets as best available confuses concert patrons because the ASA found “no discernible difference” between expensive Platinum tickets and general seats that could even be closer to the stage or have better sightlines.
The ban is apparently a court decision without much real-world consequences because Ticketmaster changed its description of Platinum tickets a year ago, and has since described them as “in demand tickets direct from the event organizers,” according to the BBC.
Platinum seats can cost up to three times more than regular seats, according to the BBC. A premium ticket for Taylor Swift’s Wembley show this summer could be as much as £240 compared with a general admission ticket of £83.70.
Previously, Ticketmaster reportedly claimed Platinum tickets “offer fans the best available tickets for an event direct from the artist.” Yet, it was possible cheaper tickets could offer a better experience,” according to the ASA.
Ticketmaster argued that “best” was a subjective term depending on the event in question – i.e., fans for one genre could consider seats “best” while fans for another genre could consider standing in the pit “best.” TM claimed consumers would interpret the claim of “best available tickets” to mean the best at the time of the purchase, according to the BBC. The ASA, however, claimed “best” could be interpreted by consumers to mean “best in house.”
“Platinum is one of the solutions Ticketmaster developed for artists and event organisers to get tickets, which are priced dynamically in some of the most in-demand areas, directly in the hands of fans,” a TM representative told the BBC. “We constantly strive to be transparent and clear with the consumer. The wording in question on our website was changed over a year ago.”
