Government confirms action being taken after Oasis tickets fiasco
Lisa Nandy has hit out at 'depressing' surge pricing which charged Oasis fans more than double the standard price for tickets. Fans looking for tickets to the Heaton Park gigs next July were expecting to pay £148.50 each for their place at the hotly anticipated show.
But many who had spent hours on Saturday (August 31) waiting in the Ticketmaster queue were then offered the same ticket for £355 instead - as an 'in demand' option. Fans labelled the pricing 'sickening' and 'scandalous' - with many choosing not to stump up the extra cash.
The government had previously pledged to bring in new 'protections' to stop music lovers being 'ripped off by touts'. But now the Culture Secretary has confirmed that surge pricing will also be included in the government's review of the ticket sales market.
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Ms Nandy, who is MP for Wigan, said: "After the incredible news of Oasis' return, it's depressing to see vastly inflated prices excluding ordinary fans from having a chance of enjoying their favourite band live. This Government is committed to putting fans back at the heart of music.
"So we will include issues around the transparency and use of dynamic pricing, including the technology around queuing systems which incentivise it, in our forthcoming consultation on consumer protections for ticket resales. Working with artists, industry and fans we can create a fairer system that ends the scourge of touts, rip-off resales and ensures tickets at fair prices."
Earlier on Sunday, Commons leader and Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell confirmed she was among those hit by dynamic pricing for Oasis tickets. She eventually forked out more than double the original