Is Viagogo legit? Ticket resale brand explained

VIAGOGO helps link millions of summons sellers to fans looking to bask unrecorded events.

But with immense changes acceptable to modulate performance summons resale nether Labour plans to halt greedy touts, radical privation to cognize if Viagogo is legit.

What is Viagogo?

Viagogo is an online marketplace which lets consumers database tickets for sale, and browse for disposable tickets for events including euphony concerts, theatre shows, and sporting events. 

They marque money from work fees and commissions connected sales, wherever they instrumentality a percent of the last merchantability price, overmuch similar eBay. 

In theory, anyone tin database tickets to merchantability connected Viagogoo. 

Buyers tin hunt for a circumstantial event, oregon simply spot what’s connected adjacent them. 

When was Viagogo created?

Viagogo was founded successful London successful 2006 by Eric Baker and Brent Hoberman.

Baker, a Harvard Business School, was the co-founder of StubHub, which helium near earlier it was acquired by eBay.

Viagogo and StubHub — the world's starring marketplace for summons resale — successful 2020.

Today, Viagogo operates successful implicit 90 countries, and founder Eric Baker is inactive astatine the helm arsenic CEO.

Although offices of Viagogo are London based, the office are located successful Switzerland.

Due to this, Viagogo's fiscal records are not public.

Is Viagogo a morganatic website?

Viagogo is simply a morganatic website — but it has been the subject of important contention over the years. 

In 2023, Viagogo was the absorption of outrage among Taylor Swift fans, erstwhile tickets for the star’s blockbuster Eras tour were appearing for resale for eye-popping sums of up to £6,500. 

The summons reseller allows would-be sellers to acceptable their price, which means fans and prospective buyers often find themselves paying galore times the archetypal terms for tickets. 

The website is besides said to beryllium babelike connected touts — a study by the Competition and Markets Authority successful 2020 recovered that much than 70% of Viagogo’s tickets were posted by nonrecreational traders, and lone 10% were sold by mean sellers. 

Some premier league football clubs, similar Manchester United, enactment with Viagogo, contempt summons touting being amerciable successful England. 

On inflated prices, the planetary managing manager of Viagogo, Cris Miller defended the site, saying helium was not going to apologise, arsenic ultimately, "it is simply a marketplace, we tally a level and the marketplace dictates the prices.”

Viagogo has faced ineligible challenges and regulatory attention in immoderate countries for its concern practices. Some countries person regulations successful spot to code concerns related to summons resale.

Viagogo has besides been criticised for deficiency of transparency successful presumption of summons pricing, fees, and existent availability of tickets. 

Other concerns person been raised astir summons authenticity — truthful it’s indispensable to cautiously verify the legitimacy of tickets connected the site. 

One seller faced losing astir £900 aft an effort to merchantability his UFC tickets connected Viagogo went wrong.

The institution came nether much scrutiny again successful August 31, 2024 erstwhile the legendary stone band, Oasis's 2025 reunion tour went connected wide sale.

As superior sites for tickets income struggled to conscionable the precocious demand, secondary ticketing sites similar Viagogo were criticised for exploiting fans with higher summons prices.

Fans of the British popular set called retired “disgusting” prices for tickets relisted connected Viagogo, some listed for much than £5,000 each, compared to the authoritative Ticketmaster prices, ranging from £73 to £205.

Defending the sites integrity Viagogo told PA quality bureau that Oasis is simply a "dream lawsuit anticipated by millions worldwide", and his institution is making the beingness of fans easier arsenic authoritative sellers were "struggling to negociate request adjacent earlier the on-sale".

He added: "We cognize fans are frustrated with the process and we cognize determination is simply a amended way. We proceed to enactment manufacture collaboration to guarantee the full ticketing marketplace works for fans and the unrecorded amusement industry.

"Resale is ineligible successful the UK and fans are ever protected by our warrant that they volition person their tickets successful clip for the lawsuit oregon their wealth back."

He besides said: "Our number-one extremity for fans utilizing secondary marketplaces is to proceed to cheque prices extracurricular of the archetypal fewer weeks of sale."

Is the Viagogo app safe?

Yes, the Viagogo app itself is safe.

Viagogo says that “100% bid warrant covers some buyers and sellers, truthful remainder assured, we’ve got your back.”

However, successful 2018, Martin Lewis, wealth redeeming expert, said: “I personally cognize that unless it radically changes I would ne'er bargain tickets from Viagogo, and would caution anybody present if they are looking astatine secondary ticketing income not to usage Viagogo.”

Although wealth is lone released to the seller aft the event, buying a summons connected Viagogo whitethorn mean you tally the hazard of being turned distant astatine the door. 

In January 2023, fans were denied introduction to Ricky Gervais’ stand-up comedy gig successful York.

Viagogo is legally obliged to pass fans they could beryllium denied introduction and connection lone a "guarantee" connected refunds of summons costs.

Ricky Gervais responded to a instrumentality connected Twitter, who was denied introduction to the show, saying: "The promoter, Live Nation, is investigating what happened.

"So frustrating, I know."

Viagogo spoke retired astir what they saw arsenic the “unfair favoritism of morganatic summons holders” astatine the York drama gig. 

It’s important to cheque seller reviews, cheque summons authenticity, recognize the costs — including immoderate fees — look retired for excessively precocious prices and instrumentality clip to recognize the imaginable risks, and the tiny people presumption and conditions.