Viagogo is a ticket exchange website, that allows consumers to buy and sell tickets to events all over the world.
But is it safe? Here’s all you need to know about the resale marketplace.
What is Viagogo?
Viagogo is an online marketplace which lets consumers list tickets for sale, and browse for available tickets for events including music concerts, theatre shows, and sporting events.
They make money from service fees and commissions on sales, where they take a percentage of the final sale price, much like eBay.
In theory, anyone can list tickets to sell on Viagogoo.
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Buyers can search for a specific event, or simply see what’s on near them.
When was Viagogo created?
Viagogo was founded in London in 2006 by Eric Baker and Brent Hoberman.
Baker, a Harvard Business School, was the co-founder of StubHub, which he left before it was acquired by eBay.
Viagogo and StubHub — the world's leading marketplace for ticket resale — in 2020.
Today, Viagogo operates in over 90 countries, and founder Eric Baker is still at the helm as CEO.
Although formed in London, where the firm still has offices, its headquarters are in Switzerland, meaning its financial records are not publically available.
Is Viagogo a legitimate website?
Viagogo is a legitimate website — but it has been the subject of significant controversy over the years.
In 2023, Viagogo was the focus of outrage among Taylor Swift fans, when tickets for the star’s blockbuster Eras tour were appearing for resale for eye-popping sums of up to £6,500.
The ticket reseller allows would-be sellers to set their price, which means fans and prospective buyers often find themselves paying many times the original price for tickets.
The website is also said to be dependent on touts — a report by the Competition and Markets Authority in 2020 found that more than 70% of Viagogo’s tickets were posted by professional traders, and only 10% were sold by ordinary sellers.
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Some premier league football clubs, like Manchester United, work with Viagogo, despite ticket touting being illegal in England.
On inflated prices, Viagogo exec Cris Miller defended the site, saying he was not going to apologise, as ultimately, "it is a marketplace, we run a platform and the market dictates the prices.”
Viagogo has faced legal challenges and regulatory attention in some countries for its business practices. Some countries have regulations in place to address concerns related to ticket resale.
Viagogo has also been criticised for lack of transparency in terms of ticket pricing, fees, and actual availability of tickets.
Other concerns have been raised about ticket authenticity — so it’s essential to cautiously verify the legitimacy of tickets on the site.
One seller faced losing almost £900 after an attempt to sell his UFC tickets on Viagogo went wrong.
Is the Viagogo app safe?
Yes, the Viagogo app itself is safe.
Viagogo says that “100% order guarantee covers both buyers and sellers, so rest assured, we’ve got your back.”
However, in 2018, Martin Lewis, money saving expert, said: “I personally know that unless it radically changes I would never buy tickets from Viagogo, and would caution anybody now if they are looking at secondary ticketing sales not to use Viagogo.”
Although money is only released to the seller after the event, buying a ticket on Viagogo may mean you run the risk of being turned away at the door.
In January 2023, fans were denied entry to Ricky Gervais’ stand-up comedy gig in York.
Viagogo is legally obliged to inform fans they could be denied entry and offer only a "guarantee" on refunds of ticket costs.
Ricky Gervais responded to a fan on Twitter, who was denied entry to the show, saying: "The promoter, Live Nation, is investigating what happened.
"So frustrating, I know."
Viagogo spoke out about what they saw as the “unfair discrimination of legitimate ticket holders” at the York comedy gig.
It’s important to check seller reviews, check ticket authenticity, understand the costs — including any fees — look out for excessively high prices and take time to understand the possible risks, and the small print terms and conditions.
