Radiohead Condemn Resale Sites, Tout Criticism
Here’s a summary of the key points from the provided text:
* High-Priced Tickets Listed Before Sale: Tickets for Beyoncé’s upcoming concerts at the O2 in London where listed on Ticombo for over £22,000 by a Swiss company, Worldtix AG, before they went on general sale.
* Concerns of Fraudulent Activity: Experts believe it’s impossible to have these tickets legitimately before the official sale date, raising suspicions of “speculative listings” – advertising tickets one doesn’t possess, hoping to acquire them later. This practice can be considered fraudulent.
* Conflicting Statements:
* Ticombo: Claims no evidence of fraud and suggests the tickets could have been obtained thru hospitality releases. They removed the listings after being contacted by the Guardian and state they are just a platform, taking a commission on sales.
* worldtix AG: Positions itself as an intermediary distributing tickets from a network of sellers and is reviewing the listings.
* Ticket Security Expert (Reg Walker): Asserts the tickets don’t exist and this is a breach of the Consumer Rights Act, designed to protect against fraud.
* Consumer Rights: The situation highlights potential violations of the Consumer Rights Act, which aims to prevent fraud.
* Ticombo’s Role: Ticombo was a major sponsor of a secret meeting… (the text cuts off here).
In essence, the article investigates the potentially illegal practice of selling tickets for events before they are officially available, focusing on a specific case involving Beyoncé concerts and the platforms Ticombo and Worldtix AG.