Ticketmaster does not use dynamic pricing or rip off fans, boss tells MPs
Ticketmaster has denied it uses so-called dynamic pricing as it was quizzed by MPs investigating concerns that consumers are paying inflated amounts to secure tickets.
Andrew Parsons, Ticketmaster’s UK managing director, said told the Business and Trade Committee that the price of tickets on the site “is the price that the artist has worked with us to determine is the price that they want it to be set”.
Asked if Ticketmaster was “ripping off fans who just want to go and see the shows they love”, Mr Parsons replied: “I don’t believe so, no.”
He told the committee: “We work closely with event organisers to be able to sell tickets at the prices that they’ve determined in advance and after lots of consideration and lots of thought.
“A lot of thought goes into it, and I think that in the main they are very fairly priced.”
Mr Parsons was further questioned by committee chairman Liam Byrne about a BBC investigation into Ticketmaster’s pricing for a Harry Styles tour, and one fan “who said they’d been enticed on to buy a ticket for £155” but when they got to the checkout “the price per ticket had gone up to something like £386”.
Mr Byrne said: “That’s the same sin that you’re criticising the scalpers for. It’s a blatant switch isn’t it?”
Mr Parsons said: “I don’t think it is. We don’t advertise prices in advance, typically. The price that you see on our website, when they are made available for sale, is the price that the artist has worked with us to determine is the price that they want it to be set.”
Mr Byrne replied: “How does it go up once you get to put your credit card in then?”
Mr Parsons said: “Well, it doesn’t. Maybe it would be useful to talk about how our platform does work.
“It didn’t change. I’m happy to explain to