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Oasis fans are looking back in anger after spending up to 15 hours trying to purchase a ticket to the band’s reunion tour through Ticketmaster.
General admission standing tickets were expected to cost 150 pounds ($197) but were raised to 355 pounds ($467) thanks to the demand, according to The Independent. When tickets went on sale on Saturday, customers said they were repeatedly kicked off the website and many waited for more than a workday to purchase a ticket before they sold out that evening.
The debacle has reignited criticism towards the ticket site, which joined with Live Nation in 2010, after it allegedly mishandled ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s record-setting — and economy boosting — Eras Tour.
The United Kingdom’s Competition Markets Authority (CMA) on Thursday announced an investigation into Ticketmaster over fans facing issues accessing the website, as well as “dynamic pricing,” or when prices are adjusted to meet demand.
The CMA said its investigation will look into whether people were pressured to buy tickets within a short time period for higher prices than initially expected, as well as if they were properly notified that tickets could be subject to dynamic pricing. Although the CMA said it will investigate if Ticketmaster has engaged in “unfair commercial practices,” it notes that it should not be assumed that the firm broke consumer protection laws.
“It’s important that fans are treated fairly when they buy tickets, which is why we’ve launched this investigation,” CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said in a statement. “It’s clear that many people felt they had a bad experience and were surprised by the price of their tickets at check-out.”
In a statement, Ticketmaster said it was committed to cooperating with the CMA’s inquiry. As for Oasis, the group said it added two additional shows at London’s Wembly Stadium, with tickets to be opened first to local fans who were unable to buy tickets in the initial sale.
After similar issues with the Eras Tour he U.S. Department of Justice in May sued Live Nation Entertainment and asked it to break up the company, which was formed after the original company merged with Ticketmaster in 2010. As of last month, 39 states and the District of Columbia have joined the DOJ’s lawsuit.
They accuse Live Nation of relying on unlawful and uncompetitive conduct to maintain its control over the live entertainment industry, which hurts venues, artists, consumers, and promoters. The DOJ said Live Nation controls roughly 80% of primary ticketing at major concert venues and 60% of concert promotions.
In November 2022, the department opened a new probe into the company to investigate how it beats out rival ticketing services, concert promoters, and other players in the live music industry, Politico reported at the time.
Several U.S. senators have advocated for the company to be broken up, as have rivals.
“The DOJ’s lawsuit won’t solve the issues fans care about relating to ticket prices, service fees, and access to in-demand shows,” Ticketmaster said in a statement posted to its website. “Calling Ticketmaster a monopoly may be a PR win for the DOJ in the short term, but it will lose in court because it ignores the basic economics of live entertainment.”