Councillors call on Ticketmaster to review its pricing strategies

Labour councillor Marie Tuohy tabled a motion regarding ticketing sales company Ticketmaster at the monthly meeting of Laois County Council.

Cllr Tuohy’s motion sought for the council to call on Peter Burke, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment along with Dara Calleary Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation to review the pricing strategies employed by Ticketmaster employed by Ticketmaster in regard to concert and event ticket sales.

The councillor pointed out that, “Ticketmaster used a dynamic pricing structure (where) demand goes up as well as the price. If there’s enough people willing to go (to a concert) then they’ll pay the price.

“In my opinion it’s a cynical form of marketing. Ticketmaster basically has a monopoly. Fans spend hours and hours in an online or phone queue. There should be transparency and should be informed of the full price. They are cornered.” She highlighted that there is “a role here for the Competition Consumer Protection Commission and there’s already legislation in place since 2021 banning the sale of tickets above face value but Ticketmaster are ticket touts in a sense now.” Sinn Féin councillor Caroline Dwane Stanley fully supported the motion. She raised the issue of huge prices paid for Oasis, Taylor Swift and Coldplay concerts recently.

“Young people had every phone, iPad, computer being used to try to get tickets. Ticketmaster needs to be held accountable. Outside of this country we are being looked at as a rip-off culture,” Cllr Dwane Stanley continued.

Independent councillor Aisling Moran also supported the motion and added: “This (sale of tickets) is an absolute joke. This has to be sorted by the Government. It’s the artist who gets the choice. It’s their choice to either set the price or do dynamic selling. The price should be the price”.

The motion was passed by councillors.