Viagogo Ripoff

[Stuka]

If we were from mainland Europe we'd organise a massive banner or 'tifo' before a game making our feelings on Viagogo known.

[soggy biscuit]

We should launch our own one, Nobagogo.

Sounds like a plan to gang**** Igoe Agogo

[mr_number]

I'm sure the supporters who've stopped going because they've been priced out will be delighted for you, Seb.

[Green]

I'd like to see an end to the thuggish tribal mentality of football fans and am hoping (albeit a long shot) that this will lead to a more tolerant fan base.

How good would it be if it was like cricket where you could sit anywhere, and moreover enjoy an alcoholic beverage within sight of the pitch?

Like it or not football is a middle class pursuit these days so lets stop treating the fans like animals.

[TFF]

Seb, I'll bow to your knowledge of the law but from the ground regs http://www.readingfc.co.uk/fans/Groundr ... l#anchored

1 Notwithstanding possession of any ticket the Club, any police officer or authorised steward may refuse entry to (or eject from) the Ground any person:
- 1.1 that fails (or in the Club's reasonable opinion is likely to fail) to comply with these Ground Regulations or any reasonable instruction issued by a police officer or authorised steward; and/or
- 1.2 whose presence within the Ground is, or could (in the Club's reasonable opinion), constitute a source of danger, nuisance or annoyance to any other person.

and

18 Any individual who has entered any part of the Ground designated for the use of any group of supporters to which he does not belong may be ejected from the Ground either for the purposes of his own safety or for any other reason.

I've had away fans near me before and I've been in away ends. As long as everyone behaves it's not a problem but I wouldn't hesitate to get a steward involved if I had any mouthy away fans near me.

[mr_number]

I'd like to see an end to the thuggish tribal mentality of football fans and am hoping (albeit a long shot) that this will lead to a more tolerant fan base.

How good would it be if it was like cricket where you could sit anywhere, and moreover enjoy an alcoholic beverage within sight of the pitch?

Like it or not football is a middle class pursuit these days so lets stop treating the fans like animals.

I take your point, but for me, and a lot of people, the atmosphere is part of football, and segregating fans does a lot to maintain that. I guess a compromise might be to have specific 'away' and 'home' stands, but also have mixed seating. However, it would only ever be clubs like us and Fulham who would do it, since filling the ground with your own fans obviously helps the team. Unless they're a lot of moaning pcunts like Reading fans who'll boo their team at 0-0 at half time in an away PL game.

[Green]

I think you'd still get a bunch of home fans who like to sing sat together, and similarly so would the away fans. It works at cricket, and at non league football.

[Royal Prince]

£108 for a ticket in Y26.

How can this happen? I thought prices were to be capped at twice match day value, which IIRC is £45?

[leicsRoyal]

£108 for a ticket in Y26.

How can this happen? I thought prices were to be capped at twice match day value, which IIRC is £45?

2 x £45 plus an admin fee of £18.20

£108.20

[Royal Prince]

£108 for a ticket in Y26.

How can this happen? I thought prices were to be capped at twice match day value, which IIRC is £45?

2 x £45 plus an admin fee of £18.20

£108.20

Makes sense now, cheers.

Don't know what I'm more shocked at now though, the total rip off price or an £18.20 fee for admin! (surely there can't be that much admin for ViaGoGo to do?)

[leicsRoyal]

Makes sense now, cheers.

Don't know what I'm more shocked at now though, the total rip off price or an £18.20 fee for admin! (surely there can't be that much admin for ViaGoGo to do?)

It's actually a £27.40 charge for admin as they charge the seller £9.20 as well. The admin charge is clearly not for admin, it's how they make the money.
The banks used to class it as admin when they charged you £30 to send a letter out to tell you that you are now £30.43p overdrawn.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

..... (surely there can't be that much admin for ViaGoGo to do?)

There's much more admin for Reading FC, who have to cancel the season ticket card for that game and send out the new ticket to the buyer.

[barmy_army008]

Somebody's asking for £90 for Man Utd and it's in the South.

Maybe a case of buying and then try and sell to make a profit tout style.

Are you sure that's not one of the tickets Viagogo gets to resell themselves?

Haven't read the whole thread - apologies if this has been covered.

So, all of those seats for £55-56 in the South Stand currently on there for tomorrow are presumably those tickets that the club is giving to Viagogo, who are selling them on at above face value? There are no season ticket holders in the South are there, so fans can't be selling those ones?

I would really like to hear what the club have to say on all these points, especially with the responses on the Facebook page. But there's probably a calendar signing or something for them to tweet about instead.

[M Brook]

A little birdie tells me that Radio 4 at the weekend will be doing a programme on the business ethics of Viagogo and their current strategy of leeching off Premier League clubs and their supporters. For instance, another thing I've found out is that at Newcastle (another club with the same Viagogo deal) you're not allowed to sell tickets through them for less than face value, even if the match is sold out and the ticket would otherwise go unsold.

Not sure of the exact time slot but will publish it when I know - and I hope whoever at Reading arranged this deal listens and squirms.

Broadcast details here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20563038

[Compo's Hat]

5 live Investigates: 'legalised ticket touting' by Premier League clubs

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20563038

[Silver Fox]

[quote="barmy_army008"]There are no season ticket holders in the South are there, so fans can't be selling those ones?quote]

There are, I found out on Saturday

[Royal Ginger]

I work in the Music/Theatre industry, and we went through this a couple of years ago with concert tickets.

A series of court cases eventually ruled that as people own the tickets, it was unlawful to prevent sale. Glasto went with photo ID required for entry, which although was legally fine, caused under-reported problems at the gate. The ticket seller still reserve the right to refuse entry if it's in the Ts and Cs, but in the real world it's just not practical or cost effective to check everyone's identity.

The eventual industry leaning was "if you can't beat them join them". E-bay, Viagogo, and Seatwave (owned by Ticketmaster) at least offer some protection for the buyer, whilst a dogey bloke outside a venue doesn't. Of course without a valid street vendors licence and proof of Tax, that bloke is breaking the law anyway.

[Stuka]

The clubs should be doing it in house like Liverpool and Arsenal. There is that alternative. Viagogo is a massive and unnecessary sell-out.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

I work in the Music/Theatre industry, and we went through this a couple of years ago with concert tickets.

A series of court cases eventually ruled that as people own the tickets, it was unlawful to prevent sale. Glasto went with photo ID required for entry, which although was legally fine, caused under-reported problems at the gate. The ticket seller still reserve the right to refuse entry if it's in the Ts and Cs, but in the real world it's just not practical or cost effective to check everyone's identity.

The eventual industry leaning was "if you can't beat them join them". E-bay, Viagogo, and Seatwave (owned by Ticketmaster) at least offer some protection for the buyer, whilst a dogey bloke outside a venue doesn't. Of course without a valid street vendors licence and proof of Tax, that bloke is breaking the law anyway.

Except there is specific regulation regarding football tickets which makes them different, legally, than concert tickets. That legislation criminalises "unauthorised resale" of them in a way that doesn't apply to concert tickets.

Just another of the raft of legislation that applies only to football supporters and not to any other sector of society.

[Royal Lady]

Plenty of ticket touts outside the ground on Saturday - police did nothing to move them on from what I could see btw.