Lets change the law on Touting - petition to Parliament

Written on Sun 01 May 2016

UPDATE 25/05/16: The number of signatures passes 41,500!!

Not far off half way to the number of signatures required, where the petition will be considered for debate in Parliament and yet more major artists are adding their support

Final update before the government is expected to publish its independent review into the secondary ticketing market.

Chaired by Professor Michael Waterson, the review was originally announced as part of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and has received submissions from promoters, primary and secondary ticket sellers and online ticket sites.

More artists and venues are adding their voices and giving more of an insight into how they feel about ticket touting:

“Enter Shikari has long been opposed to ticket touting.  We’ve always tried to provide value for money with shows.. trying our hardest to keep prices reasonable, while putting on a show that we can be proud of.
so, when you see that “TicketsX” has sold out of face-value tickets straight away, but that mysteriously “TicketsY” has them available at vastly inflated prices, that gets infuriating. Especially when you know that “TicketsY” is actually owned by “TicketsX” too! (and don’t get us wrong; this isn’t about a couple of blokes knocking out tickets outside a sold out show… or fans moving on tickets that they can’t use - again, the ticket folks we try and use have a policy that they will help fans transfer over tickets when circumstances change - this is large amount of tickets being sold at double / triple / or even more the face-value price… so.. yeah.” Enter Shikari

https://www.facebook.com/entershikari/posts/10153664475277104

“2 many fans are being ripped by touts and ticket resales, sign this petition so we can do something about it now 👊 M” The Script
https://twitter.com/thescript/status/732904679701684224

“#ToutsOut sign and share!” James Bay

https://twitter.com/jamesbaymusic/status/732472904248483844

“Please do not buy from bootleg, touting or secondary ticketing sites. They are the scourge of our society.” The Fratellis

https://www.facebook.com/thefratellis/posts/10153419366927471:0

“Please sign and share this petition to crack down on industrial-scale ticket touting in the UK…thanks!” Fink

https://twitter.com/finkmusic/status/734400623169437696

“Now, more than ever, playing gigs is the absolute backbone of what we do, so we always try hard to ensure that our fans have the best opportunity of getting into our shows, and at the right price.  So we’re joining with colleagues across the music biz to support a petition that demands UK government to tighten up the legislation.  Please sign it today, and share it around if you like. Big thanks.” Fink

https://www.facebook.com/finkmusic/posts/10153413532536923

“Support this petition to UK government to stop ticket touts ripping off fans. Get involved here” The Heavy

https://twitter.com/theheavy/status/734696395924484096

“An important petition to sign! Enforce the Consumer Rights Act to protect music, arts and sport fans from touts” The Village Underground

https://twitter.com/villunderlondon/status/735102685356171264

Please keep sharing.

#ToutsOut ✌️

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/128969

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UPDATE 12/5/16: The number of signatures hits 33,333.

One third of the way to the figure where this petition will be considered for debate in Parliament and yet more major artists and organisations are adding their voices:

“Please support changes to laws to enable us to protect music fans from ticket resale sites. Read more & sign at” Florence Welch

https://twitter.com/flo_tweet/status/729720980738871296

“#ToutsOut: Help us stand up to the ticket touts. Please sign this petition: gentlemenoftheroad.com/news/toutsout-…
Gentlemen of the Road

https://twitter.com/gotrofficial/status/728620979216367618

“Asking for the law to protect fans getting ripped off by touts and ticket resellers”
“We support this. We’re wanting tighter rules to help stop fans getting ripped off by ticket touts and resellers. Please have a look and lend your support.” Editors

https://twitter.com/editorsofficial/status/730002645042249729

“#ToutsOut: Help us stand up to the ticket touts. Please sign this petition:” Jess Glynne

https://twitter.com/jessglynne/status/730325352736772097

“The plague of Ticket Touts who harvest huge volumes of tickets online and then immediately sell them at many times the face value must stop.” Royal Blood

https://twitter.com/royalblooduk/status/730400762614960128

http://royalbloodband.com/news/stand-up-to-the-ticket-touts-please-sign-this

“We don’t get to play if you guys don’t get to come. Please take a moment to read, sign and support this if you can x” Jack Garratt

https://twitter.com/jackgarratt/status/730141793203924992

“Music fans should get tickets at face value.Touts exist to fleece you. Stop them by signing the petition” Alison Moyet

https://twitter.com/alisonmoyet/status/730430032435417088

If everyone who has signed, asked two equally ethical friends to sign, the petition would hit the 100,000 signatures target.  Please keep sharing and please keep up the good work

#ToutsOut

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/128969

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UPDATE 9/5/16 :  20,000 signatures!!

The story of the petition is now running on the BBC and Sky News and making headlines in the United States.  More major players are adding their voice and the number of signatures has just hit 20,000!!! Double the number required for a government response…. FANtastic ✌️

“Continuing the fight against ticket touts - we need your help” Iron Maiden’s call to action🤘
ironmaiden.com/news/article/t…

https://twitter.com/ironmaiden/status/729717692664451072

“Touts get in the way of music fans getting fair tickets 👎 Stop them & sign the petition petition.parliament.uk/petitions/1289… 🚫 #toutsout xx the girls xx” ... Little Mix

https://twitter.com/littlemix/status/729302611799642116

“We’ll be supporting this.  Please take a look and if you agree, add your support too” Slowdrive

https://www.facebook.com/Slowdive/posts/10154235874282754

“Help us show the UK Government that something decisive must be done to get rid of touts and sign this petition!” Oh Wonder

https://twitter.com/ohwondermusic/status/728261108679725056

The trolls are emerging from under their bridges to try and spoil the party with their negativity… Ignore them and they will go away ✌️

Please keep sharing ✌️

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/128969

#ToutsOut

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UPDATE 7/5/16
Number of signatures hits 10,000!!! The first magic number has been reached.  FANtastic ✌️

10,000 have now signed the petition.  That’s 10,000 who want the government to enforce the Consumer Rights Act to protect music, arts and sports fans from touts.  10,000 who are sick of being ripped-off by ticket resales. 10,000 who agree that The Consumer Rights Act has not changed things. 10,000 who demand that Parliament enact last year’s ticket resale amendment, which provides tougher sanctions for resale websites, and also requires ticket resellers to reveal their identities.

Now it gets interesting.  The government will now respond to this petition.

If you have signed this petition or shared it, you should hold their head high as one of the good guys.  You are changing the game.

“Stand up to the ticket touts. Please sign this petition. #toutsout ” Keane
https://twitter.com/keaneofficial/status/728611155376214016

“#ToutsOut: Help us stand up to the ticket touts. Please sign this petition:” Mumford and Sons
https://twitter.com/mumfordandsons/status/728620352537022464
http://www.mumfordandsons.com/news/toutsout-sign-the-petition/

That’s the first target reached, now let’s push for the second.  At 100,000 signatures, this petition will be considered for debate in Parliament.  Let’s make the politicians work for what we all believe is important.  Please keep sharing and promoting.

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UPDATE 6/5/16

5000+ signatures!  Half way to a government response to the petition.  Outstanding effort everyone.

The last 24 hours have seen a rapid rise in the number of signatures on the petition, thanks mainly to some high profile artists continuing to add their voices to the cause on social media.

“Music fans should be able to get tickets fairly. Touts get in the way!
Stop them by signing the petition” One Direction

https://twitter.com/onedirection/status/728535165367025664

Fans getting ripped off by touts is not fair but still too easy. You can change it. Sign hereFans getting ripped off by touts is not fair but still too easy. You can change it. #givetoutsthefinger” Olly Murs.

https://twitter.com/ollyofficial/status/728547426592755712

Please keep up the good work and keep sharing ✌️

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UPDATE 5/5/16 Less than a week since its launch and nearly 2000 signatures are now on the petition to Enforce the Consumer Rights Act to protect music, arts and sports fans from touts.

Artists are taking to social media to spread the word:

“If getting onstage is one of the best things about being a musician, seeing your audience get ripped off is undoubtedly the worst”, Laura Marling

https://www.facebook.com/lauramarling/posts/10153438210292041

“Fans have been ripped-off by professional ticket touts for too long. Please read & sign this petition” Graham Gouldman 10CC

Our good friends at Gig Addict are on board:

“We know there’s a need for a secondary market, but the market is broken. There’s no transparency at the moment, and it’s this lack of transparency which leads to fans getting ripped off – whether that’s artificially high prices, or counterfeit tickets.”

http://gigaddict.co.uk/anti-ticket-abuse-petition/

No response to our tweet to the candidates for Mayor of London, but I guess they are busy today asking for our votes to represent us in things that are important to us… like ticket touting perhaps?

Please keep sharing this…. its important.

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UPDATE 3/5/16 —- EFestivals are supporting this petition together with a long list of figures from the music industry.

Meanwhile, we have tweeted the leading candidates for the London Mayoral elections asking them for their views on ticket touting. @ZacGoldsmith @SadiqKhan @CarolinePidgeon @sianberry - which of you is campaigning to rid the London streets of touts and scalpers?

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A petition has been launched, calling for enforcement of the Consumer Rights Act to protect music, arts and sport fans from touts.
Fans are being ripped-off by ticket resales. The Consumer Rights Act has not changed this. We demand that Parliament enact last year’s ticket resale amendment, which provides tougher sanctions for resale websites, and also require ticket resellers to reveal their identities.

On a commercial scale, touting deprives the Treasury of VAT, and performance copyright holders of royalties that should be paid on the mark-ups. It also denies artistes the ability to ensure their events are priced so anyone can attend.

If 100,000 people sign this petition it will go to Parliament. There are over 100,000 music, festival and gig-lovers in the UK, so please pass this on to your friends on social media.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/128969