The secondary ticket sales platform Viagogo is notorious for problems. Customers frequently report steep booking fees on top of extortionate ticket prices. Sometimes, tickets do not even arrive, or if they do they are not the correct tickets. Many people accuse Viagogo of being misleading. They purchase adverts on Google to appear at the top of search listings, which makes them seem more official. Viagogo pressures customers into panic-buying tickets, with notifications that these in-demand tickets are now running out. As well as this, they do not state the booking or delivery fees upfront. Customers might not realize just how much they are paying until their order has already gone through. At this point, it may seem too late, as Viagogo does not allow you to cancel. What can you do now?
Are Viagogo Tickets Valid?
First of all, you need to check the terms and conditions for the event and venue. To fight ticket touting, many artists employ ticket-checking policies which invalidate secondary sales. This means that if you buy a ticket from Viagogo, it is likely to have the original buyer’s name on it. When you turn up at the venue, they will check your ID against the ticket and see that the names do not match. In this case, they will turn you away and you cannot gain entry to the event. If the original seller and Viagogo took your money for this ticket in violation of such an entry policy, you have grounds to claim a refund. The same applies if “VIP” tickets are sold when these do not actually exist. If the tickets you receive are not the ones you paid for, this also invalidates them under section 2.15 and the Viagogo Guarantee.
Can You Return Viagogo Tickets?
Unfortunately, when you purchase tickets from Viagogo, you agree to their terms and conditions. These state that sales are not refundable except in certain circumstances. Examples of these are listed above, and valid reasons for a refund include event cancellation. If you simply decide that you no longer want to use the tickets, Viagogo will tell you to list them on their site and re-sell them yourself. However, it is not a good idea to do this. If you do not receive the tickets or they turn out to be invalid, you cannot get your money back once you have tried to re-sell them on the Viagogo website. They will charge you for failure to provide the promised tickets. If you are certain that the tickets are valid, try selling them on an artist-approved platform like Twickets instead. If they are not valid, claim a refund.
How to Get Money Back From Viagogo
Once you have a reason for your tickets being invalid, you have the right to claim a refund from Viagogo. To do this, you will need to contact them, which is the tricky part. They are infamous for being difficult to get in touch with. You can try calling them on the phone, but if your Order ID is for an event more than 72 hours away, you may not be able to speak to a person. Press Option 2 for seller services even if you are a buyer to attempt to speak to someone. You can try to contact them through your Viagogo account, send a Tweet, or e-mail customerserviceuk@viagogo.com. It is important that you persevere with your complaints and keep demanding a refund until they give it to you. They might be slow to respond or provide stock excuses. You should keep outlining your cause for complaint explicitly.
What If Viagogo Won’t Refund Me?
It could become incredibly frustrating if Viagogo ignores your messages or shrugs off complaints. As long as you are in the right, you can keep going until they pay what they owe you. In addition to pushing Viagogo for a refund, you should contact your bank. If you make them aware of the complaint, they may be able to refund you. If you paid with a credit card, you can try claiming a refund under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. You can also open a Chargeback claim if you used a debit or credit card. You must provide evidence of correspondence with Viagogo regarding the refund request. Both Viagogo and your bank may ask you to wait until you are refused entry at the event before instigating a refund claim. However, you can use Reason Code 80 to claim a refund for unclear pricing right away. If you used PayPal for the order, you should be able to claim a refund from them under Buyer Protection.
What to Do About Ed Sheeran Viagogo Tickets
Ed Sheeran and his tour promoter Kilimanjaro Live are widely publicizing their policy against Viagogo. Other events and artists such as FIFA and Arctic Monkeys are also following this lead to stop the touts. Venues will not accept resale tickets unless they are sold through Twickets, which can change the name to match the new booker. For Ed Sheeran’s current tour, if you bought tickets from Viagogo then you will need to find the “Victim of Viagogo” stand at the venue. Here, the staff will give your ticket an “Invalid” stamp and provide instructions on how to use this to get a refund from Viagogo. You will then be able to purchase new tickets at face value (around £75 each) and gain entry to the event. If you are unable to pay for the new tickets, you will be given the option of coming back to buy tickets for another date instead. Sellers who listed Ed Sheeran tickets on Viagogo will not be paid for these sales.
How Do I Escalate a Complaint About Viagogo?
Whether you have secured a refund or not, you might want to report Viagogo and their poor practices. Luckily for the British public, National Trading Standards are investigating Viagogo. In May 2018, the Advertising Standards Authority decided to take action against Viagogo. The ASA issued instructions to Viagogo, Get Me In!, Seatwave, and StubHub to improve their misleading pricing. Viagogo has ignored these demands, including a ban on labelling itself as an “Official” site and advertising a “100% Guarantee.” National Trading Standards could prosecute Viagogo for breaching consumer protection laws. Contact Citizens Advice if you would like to add your complaint to Trading Standards. At the moment it is difficult to take Viagogo to Small Claims Court as they are registered in Switzerland.
