Viagogo controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2020
Pandemic refund litigation
Viagogo faced litigation concerning refunds for events cancelled during the COVID-19 shutdowns. The company denied withholding refunds, and a Florida judge declined to grant class-action status in 2021.
2020
Australian Federal Court orders Viagogo to pay $7 million penalty
Fine or penalty
The Australian Federal Court ordered ticket reseller Viagogo to pay a $7 million penalty for misleading Australian consumers. The court found that Viagogo used claims suggesting it was an official seller and that events were nearly sold out, and did not adequately disclose additional ticket fees.
Source excerpt
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took Viagogo to court after the company falsely lead customers to believe it was an official seller rather than a resale marketplace by using the word “official” in its Google advertisements in 2017.
The court also found that the resale service did not disclose its “extraordinarily high” fees, such as a 27.6 per cent booking fee which applied to most tickets in 2017, and deceptively lured customers in with a base ticket price that did not account for additional fees.
Swiss-based ticket reseller Viagogo has been ordered to pay a penalty of $7 million by the Australian Federal Court for misleading Australian consumers “on an industrial scale”.
2020
Viagogo fined $7 million for misleading Australian consumers
Fine or penalty
A Federal Court judge ordered Viagogo to pay a $7 million penalty for misleading Australian consumers. The court had found that the company breached Australian Consumer Law and made false or misleading representations. Viagogo said its platform had been overhauled since the court's initial decision.
Company response
Remediation — Viagogo
In a statement, Viagogo said the platform had been "overhauled" since the court's initial decision.
Source excerpt
The court found Viagogo's use of phrases such as "only a few tickets left" was deceptive because they related to tickets available through its own website — not the overall availability of tickets to an event.
Justice Stephen Burley on Friday ordered Viagogo to pay a penalty of $7 million, saying some of the misrepresentations were "on an industrial scale".
The court found the website had drawn customers in with a headline price but did not disclose additional fees sufficiently.
2020
UK regulator investigates Viagogo’s acquisition of StubHub
Investigation
The UK Competition and Markets Authority launched a full investigation into Viagogo’s purchase of StubHub. The regulator could require the companies to address competition concerns, potentially by selling parts of their UK operations.
Source excerpt
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into Viagogoâs $4bn (£3.2bn) purchase of ticket resale website StubHub
The competition regulator has now launched a full investigation which will last until 11 June. At that point, it could ask the companies to allay competition concerns, potentially by selling parts of their UK operation.
2018
UK consumer-disclosure enforcement
UK authorities challenged Viagogo's disclosure of seat details, face value, seller identity, ticket availability, and the possibility of denied entry. The High Court ordered changes in November 2018.
2018
New Zealand Fair Trading Act proceedings
New Zealand authorities alleged misleading representations concerning prices, official status, scarcity, and ticket validity. A 2024 court order required clearer website and contractual disclosures, and Viagogo appealed.
2017
Australian misleading-advertising case
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission alleged that Viagogo misled consumers about official-seller status, ticket availability, urgency, and pricing. The Federal Court imposed a A$7 million penalty in 2020.