The founder of a ticketing reseller agency has slammed ‘manipulative’ other websites as fans clamoured and struggled for places at the Oasis reunion concerts/
An estimated 14million people have by vying to secure their spots at the gigs as many hit out at Ticketmaster today over its ‘disgusting’ ‘In Demand’ prices reaching as high as £350, plus fees.
Now Richard Davies, a digital media agency worker and founder of tickets resell platform Twickets, has suggested how things could have been done differently.
He told how his own app was meant to ensure no one would more than the original face value of the ticket purchased.
Speaking on LBC News today, the Twickets founder said: ‘We designed the site nearly ten years ago now, we’ve worked with some of the biggest UK worldwide tours in that time from Ed Sheeran to Adele.
The founder of official reseller Twickets, Richard Davies, has slammed ‘manipulative’ resell websites
Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher of Oasis perform live at the Melt! Festival in Ferropolis on July 19, 2009 in Graefenhainichen, Germany
Twickets ensures no one pays more than the original face value of the ticket purchased
‘We work with them to protect their fans and give them a genuine marketplace to trade their tickets if they can no longer attend the show or if they’ve overbooked or if their plans change.
‘It’s a direct competition to viagogo and stubhub who quite honestly are more tout fests, where touts will operate to flip tickets as quick as they possibly can where they make a profit. This is for genuine fans to sell at face value.’
In a previous interview, Davies said: ‘Whilst ticket touting is not illegal (except for designated events and football matches), we believe it is at best immoral, and some of the practices used to obtain tickets can be classified as criminal activity.
‘Tickets are not an ‘asset’ as such, to be traded at will, but a license to see a show. They are generally priced at a low level to open that event up to everyone, not just to those with the deepest pockets.
‘And so exploiting those prices just for the opportunity to profiteer is in our view wrong, and means that genuine fans often miss out.’
Many thousands of fans have been waiting in online queues since the early hours of this morning in the hope of securing a ticket for one of next year’s shows. Standing tickets were originally listed from £151.25, and seated from £74.25 in London.
Journalist Gavan Reilly shared in the frustration at inflated ticket prices in a post now seen more than 400,000 times.
He wrote on Twitter/X: ‘After 105 minutes in the queue: only tickets left for Oasis on Sunday are “official platinum tickets” (€490.50) and “in demand standing tickets” (€415.50).
‘Neither has any VIP element: it’s literally just Ticketmaster incorporating tout pricing into the ‘face value’ proposition.’
Noel and Liam Gallagher proved they had buried the hatchet on their 15-year feud as they met up this summer to pose for a photo together to mark Oasis’ comeback tour
The 1996 Oasis gigs at Knebworth saw the largest ever demand for gig tickets in UK history
While the band assured measures to avoid resales of the tickets above face value, fans have criticised ticket selling websites over the pricing of their ‘in demand’ tickets online
Before the price surge, tickets for the Irish dates were offered at up to £220
Darragh Moriarty, City Councillor for South West and Inner City, and Labour Leader on Dublin City Council, chimed in: ‘”In demand standing ticket” is just a standard standing ticket except double the price. No difference between Ticketmaster and touts.’
Mr Moriarty shared apparent screenshots from the Ticketmaster website offering In Demand standing tickets for 415.50 euros each, plus fees – equivalent to around £350.
Once through the queue, fans have a limited time in which their tickets are reserved to decide whether or not to pay the offered price.
Ticketmaster explains: ‘In Demand Tickets are dynamically-priced tickets.
‘Based on demand the prices of these tickets may change.
‘These tickets are not part of VIP packages – they are tickets only.’
MailOnline contacted Ticketmaster for further comment.