Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport Written Evidence


Memorandum submitted by P3 Music Ltd

  I am writing on behalf of P3 Music Ltd, which manages the careers of pop group Deacon Blue and jazz guitarist Martin Taylor, to welcome the Committee's inquiry into ticket touting.

  Britain has one of the most vibrant musical sectors in the world. There is an extensive and diverse choice of live music, theatre, arts, and concert events across the country.

  This musical sector attracts millions of domestic and international visitors each year bringing excitement, enjoyment and a huge economic and social contribution.

  Yet sadly these events are increasingly plagued by ticket touting. A problem that is becoming endemic. Touting creates many problems:

    —  Fans, supporters and the general public are being ripped off and priced out of their favourite events.

    —  Tickets are being sold by unauthorised secondary agents and touts that have none of the standard consumer protections that should apply.

    —  Resources (both financial and administrative) spent addressing touting are diverted away from re-investment in our sectors.

    —  The reputation of events is brought into disrepute.

    —  Public order and policy concerns including a flourishing of the black market and the undermining of security and policing arrangements.

  Domestically the people most at risk are young, enthusiastic music lovers who's first experience of the live music industry is now increasingly a bad experience of being ripped off and sending money to internet touts for tickets that simply never materialise. Touts also traditionally prey on overseas visitors, who may find themselves hassled, ripped off or sold a fraudulent ticket. It also hurts the tourism industry, the wider UK economy, and the reputation of the country as a whole.

  The problem of ticket touting has been fuelled in recent years by the growth of the internet and the unwillingness of internet companies and auction sites to prevent touting on their sites. They continue to allow tickets to be sold despite knowing that these tickets carry terms and conditions that prohibit their resale, rendering them void.

  Evidence demonstrates that secondary agents (touts) are increasingly engaging in a number of sophisticated purchasing practices which decrease the chances of genuine fans securing tickets at face value from the event owner.

  All of our industries do as much as we can to tackle touting. A range of measures are in place and an increasing use of technology and ticketing ID is being pioneered. But there is only so much that artistes can do alone.

  The industry needs the direct intervention of Government to support its efforts to protect our events and our customers. Existing consumer protection laws are ill-defined to address ticket touting.

  Ticket touting is a socially and economically harmful activity which marginalises fans, rips off consumers, and damages every industry in the Culture, Media and Sport sector.

  It has no place in a modern society and we would urge the Committee to come down hard on the touts and recommend Government legislation to outlaw ticket touting.

May 2007





 
previous page contents next page

House of Commons home page Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries index

© Parliamentary copyright 2008
Prepared 10 January 2008