One of our biggest events of the year, Ticketing Technology Forum, explores the future of the ticketing technology industry, covering a vast array of hot topics with all the leading names in the ticketing world.
We are therefore privvy to important issues in the sector including (but not limited to) the customer journey and how vital it is to success. It means that as a team we are more aware than most of the choices ticketing agents make when creating the buying experience for a customer – and how various charges and policies are exactly that – a choice.
Last week, I purchased tickets for Rag’n’Bone Man from Viagogo (not my first choice but – as a popular new artist – I couldn’t find them anywhere else). The price when I went to check out was £69.48+VAT – an acceptable price for two people to attend.
However, since making my booking, I’ve received my confirmation email and I’m very surprised to notice an array of charges not previously agreed. Viagogo have charged me a £19.74 Booking Fee (seriously, what have they done that warrants £19.74?!). Next up was a £9.95 Delivery Fee (they didn’t offer me the option to collect them or print them myself). So my final total suddenly becomes £103.12 for two tickets that at initial sale were going for £21 each including booking fee.
Viagogo’s customer help line is not at all helpful. You cannot talk to a person and it only answers frequently asked questions. It doesn’t even provide you with a customer service email address, so my frustration can be pointed in no other direction than here… take a look at my cost breakdown below.
It’s also worth mentioning that these tickets were on Viagogo’s site at the inflated price BEFORE the pre-sale had even started, highlighting that if this problem is ever to be stopped, the venues and artists need to be the ones to start it.
Share this