Viagogo customers feel ripped off

On March 29, 2017, “Stern TV” broadcast a report about the ticket exchange VIAGOGO. Because of this broadcast, users contacted us and confirmed what was shown on TV.

For this reason, we can once again warn against the ticket exchange VIAGOGO, because everyone who orders tickets online will stumble across the website mentioned at some point. As soon as you search for tickets on search engines, Viagogo usually appears first.

This in turn causes users to immediately click on the platform mentioned.

But what is Viagogo?

Viagogo acts like an official ticket sales portal and gives what we believe to be a misleading “Viagogo guarantee”. In fact, the platform only mediates with private sellers who usually remain unknown to the buyer. You risk being stuck with additional costs. And even if there is no delivery at all, you as the buyer bear a risk.

Video Star TV:

Ticket exchange cost trap: Why consumers feel ripped off by “Viagogog”!

Customer was ripped off!

In mid-February, a user contacted us and told us the following:

Good morning, I just had a very negative experience with viagogo. For the Alive and Swingin concert for today, Saturday, February 11th, 2017 in Hamburg, I purchased 2 tickets for €139.50 each. The final amount including fees etc. amounted to €406.18!!

An immediate cancellation was not possible!

Furthermore, it was not immediately obvious that these were tickets for a wheelchair user including an accompanying person! This means that I can't even use the outrageously overpriced cards! After presenting the cards, the next shock... the cards are worth €47.50 each! Every attempt to resell the tickets at least at the original price has failed! I am beyond stunned and extremely angry!

Already consumer complaints from eight federal states

consumer complaints from eight federal states in the early warning network of the market watchdog Digitale Welt .

Anyone looking for tickets for football games, concerts or other events via Viagogo will get the impression that it is an official ticket sales portal.

During the entire purchase process, it is not clear to consumers that Viagogo is not the seller of the tickets, but rather acts as an intermediary between private sellers and buyers.

“In this way, the company deceives users about essential features of its service,”

says Susanne Baumer, team leader for the digital world market watchdog at the Bavarian Consumer Center.

The buyer therefore bears the risk that the ticket is not delivered or that the prices are higher than if they were ordered directly from the organizer.

The actual seller usually remains unknown.

The risks of a ticket marketplace

If you buy tickets via online marketplaces such as Viagogo, there may be problems compared to “real” sales portals:

• The private seller wants to make money from resale. The tickets are therefore often more expensive than the printed price .
• You not only deal with the organizer and the platform operator Viagogo, but also with the private seller. If in doubt, this can make things more complicated. The risk of failure of a private seller can also be greater and more difficult to assess than, for example, with commercial ticket sales platforms.
• Such a purchase from the secondary market may involve the risk of unusable personalized tickets .
• Sellers can choose a very short delivery time at Viagogo. Even if you purchased early, you may not receive your tickets until a few days before the event . If delivery is delayed, in the worst case scenario you could miss the event.

If there are problems with a provider from abroad, the European Consumer Center Germany can help.

Difficult to identify additional costs

Viagogo also does not adequately inform buyers that booking and processing costs as well as sales tax are added to the price of the tickets. According to consumer advocates, the company is violating the principle of price clarity.

The market watchdog experts from the Bavarian Consumer Center also consider Viagogo's guarantee promise that it will take care of replacement tickets or a refund in the event of non-delivery to be misleading:

The company guarantees receipt of the tickets. This reinforces the impression for consumers that they are dealing with a direct ticket seller. In fact, this guarantee does not include more than the buyer is legally entitled to anyway. It is also significantly restricted in the general terms and conditions.

The consumer advocates have therefore sent a warning letter to Viagogo to make its service as a ticket exchange clear on its website and to display its prices transparently.

Advertising with the misleading “Viagogo guarantee” should also be avoided.