From Jonathan Brown, Secretary, Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR)
The ticketing industry often gets a bad press, but the piece about the Ticket Pricing Help Note, issued by the Committee for Advertising Practice (CAP) (AP issue 102, 18 July) tells only part of the story. The CAP?s new stance is really the result of pressure from STAR and other industry bodies, who have worked hard to change CAP?s views and improve customer information. Previous CAP guidelines (that advertising had to show every price at which tickets were sold from every outlet) proved so unworkable that many promoters and venues omitted prices altogether from advertisements, leaving consumers less well-informed rather than more so.
STAR is also currently working with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to upgrade its existing code of practice to ensure ticket-buyers get a better deal and are less likely to be ripped-off by touts. The OFT recently reported that the vast majority of complaints arise from transactions on the unregulated ?secondary market? or, in other words, touts. It acknowledged STAR as the representative body for the large number of primary agents and box offices that deal fairly and transparently with their customers. Far from having its knuckles rapped, the entertainment industry is actually working with the regulators to improve consumer safeguards and support legitimate ticket-sellers.