Fan Fair Alliance Vows More Viagogo Fight, Despite CMA Clearance

Last week, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority suspended legal action against resale marketplace Viagogo, announcing that it has “addressed outstanding concerns” about proper disclosures on its website for consumers.

That, apparently, isn’t good enough for the Fan Fair Alliance.

In a letter published by Iq-mag.net, FFA spokesperson Adam Webb excoriated the government agency for relinquishing its “grip” on the marketplace, going so far as to accuse it of not sufficiently explaining its reasoning for suspending the court action and calling Viagogo’s statement expressing gratitude that the matter was now behind it “pretty galling stuff.”

Even with the regulator breathing down its neck, the site has exhibited breathtaking arrogance in its disregard for consumers and legislators. That raises a real fear that, when the CMA decides to close down its investigation, as it surely will at some point, Viagogo will simply renege on progress and revert to their default setting.

Webb promised that his group would continue to send what it describes as “new and continued breaches of consumer law” by Viagogo, as well as “detailing what appear to be continued breaches of its court order.”

In summation, he intimates that the CMAs decision would provide a boon to other “rogue businesses” and that it will stand in the way of “a properly functioning market with the interests of ticket buyers at its heart.”

It should always be pointed out when discussing the Fan Fair Alliance and its aggressive campaign against the secondary market that founders Ian McAndrew and Harry Magree are investors in Twickets, alongside a who’s-who of promoters and other music industry insiders.

The original post of this story incorrectly identified one fan-to-fan resale system as having been a source of fan frustration over inability to resell their tickets during a recent Ed Sheeran tour. We have removed the reference to that resale system. We regret the error.