CMA Action Against Viagogo Halted After Website Changes

Viagogo appears to be out of hot water with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the United Kingdom, at least for the time being. The government agency announced Thursday that the resale marketplace had “addressed its outstanding concerns” about how it presented information to consumers, causing it to suspend court action against the Switzerland-based company.

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Viagogo said that the company was “pleased” it had been able “to find solutions to the final few areas of discussion” in its lengthy dispute with the watchdog. “Looking ahead we will continue to work with them to ensure we are delivering the best possible service for our customers.”

The dance between the resale marketplace and regulators has been going on for over a year, since the CMA asked that resale platforms operating in the UK substantially increase transparency requirements for sellers on their marketplaces. StubHub agreed to the new transparency requirements quickly, while Ticketmaster’s Seatwave and GetMeIn marketplaces both announced they would close down. Viagogo sparred with the CMA throughout the ensuing months before formally beginning court proceedings almost exactly a year ago, accusing the company of anti-consumer practices.

The company agreed to settle and adhere to the new rules in late 2018, but action remained unsettled until Thursday’s announcement that Viagogo was now in compliance and the matter is – at least for the time being – settled.

“Key information needed to make informed decisions before buying a ticket is now much clearer, including on where you’ll sit in a venue and whether you might be turned away at the door,” said Andrea Coscelli of the CMA. “What is clearly not acceptable is the time it’s taken to get to this stage.”

While it dropped its current legal action against the resale operator, the CMA did stress that it would continue to keep an eye on its practices in the industry, and wouldn’t hesitate to “keep up its pressure” on the company to ensure it complied with UK consumer protection laws.