Consumer watchdog secures 4 ticketing undertakings during World Cup

Ticketmaster tickets and gift cards are shown at a box office in San Jose, Calif., May 11, 2009.

The FIFA World Cup has put ticket-selling and resale platforms under the spotlight in British Columbia, where the province’s consumer watchdog secured undertakings from four major ticketing companies during the tournament over alleged violations of the Ticket Sales Act.

Consumer Protection BC conducted inspections of Vivid Seats, Ticketmaster, FWC26 Canada Football Ltd. and SeatGeek, resulting in undertakings signed between June 11 and July 2. The companies agreed to make changes after the watchdog alleged they had failed to comply with B.C.’s ticket-selling laws.

The Ticket Sales Act outlines what consumers are entitled to receive when purchasing tickets in B.C., including through resale platforms. Depending on the transaction, that can include a ticket’s face value, itemized fees and taxes, seat location, seller information, transfer restrictions and guarantees protecting purchasers if a ticket is invalid or cannot be delivered as promised.

Vivid Seats faced the most allegations with seven alleged contraventions, including failing to clearly disclose the face value of tickets being resold. According to the June 11 undertaking, Consumer Protection BC found that when the face value of the tickets was disclosed, the price was not “set out in a clear, prominent and comprehensible manner.”

The watchdog also found Vivid Seats failed to ensure resale tickets for events in B.C. disclosed itemized taxes, seat locations, required purchaser guarantees, terms and conditions, transfer restriction and seller contact information. The company agreed to make a series of changes throughout June to address those issues.

Ticketmaster’s June 12 undertaking focused on two main concerns. Consumer Protection BC alleged the company failed to ensure secondary ticket sellers’ names, locations and contact information were disclosed on its platform, and failed to properly itemize taxes in certain ticket offers. The company agreed to update its platform by mid-July.

The third inspection involved FWC26 Canada Football Ltd., the company responsible for World Cup-related ticketing operations in Canada. According to the June 15 undertaking, the company “failed to ensure that any offer to sell a ticket on its secondary ticketing platform disclosed all terms and conditions.” Under the agreement, the company committed to updating its purchase policies.

The allegations against SeatGeek, outlined in a July 2 undertaking, mirror concerns raised in several of the earlier agreements. Consumer Protection BC alleged the company failed to disclose required consumer guarantees as part of its ticket purchase policies and did not provide the secondary seller’s name, location and contact information. SeatGeek agreed to update its platform by Aug. 15.

Under the agreements, failure to comply could expose the companies to further enforcement action under the Ticket Sales Act.

While the undertakings are mostly focused on disclosure requirements, they come as Consumer Protection BC separately investigates complaints involving StubHub customers who allegedly purchased World Cup tickets they never received. In a statement announcing the investigation on June 26, Attorney General Niki Sharma encouraged people to contact Consumer Protection BC to learn more about their rights, potential refund options or to file a complaint.

“People should feel confident when buying event tickets. B.C.’s Ticket Sales Act is helping protect consumers,” said Sharma.

As Vancouver prepares to host its final World Cup match Tuesday at BC Place, these investigations serve as a reminder that the province’s ticket-selling rules extend beyond the tournament.