Despite warnings, Ed Sheeran's concert tickets in secondary market
Stuart Galbraith, Ed Sheeran's promoter has called out Google for the sale of the singer's 'Divide' tour tickets in the secondary market. According to Galbraith, it was Google adverts that sent fans to the secondary site called Viagogo, where the tickets were being sold at inflated prices. Google responded back to the allegations saying, it has strict policies on the ads it allows.
Measures taken to stop secondary ticketing
The promoters had taken every safety measure to prevent the tickets from being sold in secondary ticketing market. The official site had stated clearly that to gain entry tickets, booking confirmation and credit card, plus a form of ID would be required. Sheeran teamed up with Twickets to allow the legitimate selling and buying of the unwanted tickets.
Sites were warned against secondary ticketing
The secondary market was threatened with persecution if found guilty of selling tickets. A number of websites chose not to sell the tickets, however, 'Divide' tour tickets were available on Viagogo within minutes of being released. According to Fan Fair Alliance, Viagogo spent a lot of money to get to the top of Google's ad search and divert the traffic to its website.
Tickets being sold for thousands of pounds
The face value of the Ed Sheeran passes is between £55 and £88 for the June tour. However, the cheapest tickets on Viagogo are available for £136 and the most expensive one are going for £2,639.
