With tickets for many concerts going on presale by year-end, the Consumer’s Foundation yesterday warned against overpricing, high service charges and lack of refund options when buying tickets that are resold through the Viagogo, Stubhub or Tixinn Go Web sites.
The Ministry of Culture on May 16 issued a list of items that should or cannot be included on ticketing contracts to reduce conflict.
The items covered official Web sites run by concert hosts or managers, but did not include ticket reselling platforms.
Photo: Screengrab from the Internet
The foundation said that 285 complaints about ticketing were filed between Oct. 1 and Monday, 274 of which were about Viagogo, with eight about Stubhub and three about Tixinn Go.
Viagogo charges service fees of 25 to 30 percent, while Stubhub charges 15 percent and Tixinn Go only charges a transaction fee, foundation official Wang Te-ming (王德明) said.
The platforms pressure consumers to make impulisve purchases by showing how many users are looking at the same ticket or how many tickets are left, the foundation said.
The foundation urged buyers to check the original ticket price on official Web sites to avoid being overcharged and whether they are eligible for a free refund within a certain period.
Buyers should ask the platforms for compensation or refunds if they are sent invalid tickets, do not receive their tickets or otherwise lose money in the transaction, it said.
The foundation said that most consumer complaints about the platforms were due to a lack of information and their lack of a physical presence in Taiwan, leaving consumers with few options to settle disputes.
Last year, it met with platform representatives and suggested changes, including setting up physical offices or channels to handle consumer disputes.
Buyers should register consumer disputes with local governments or report them to the foundation’s Web site, it said.
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