Oasis canceled 50,000 tickets that were sold by resellers

LONDON (WKRC) – Oasis is canceling nearly 50,000 tickets for its British tour dates that were sold by resellers.

A spokesperson for Live Nation and SJM, Oasis' tour promoter, spoke to CNN and confirmed that the company is canceling tickets sold through unofficial secondary sites to stop price fixing.

CNN reported that Oasis fans were the latest to deal with the problem of ticket scalpers, who buy tickets at face value and resell them for a profit. According to the network, it's rare that Washington lawmakers agree in support of the Fan First Act, which proposes restrictions on ticket resellers and increases protections against online bots.

Oasis announced a reunion tour in 2009 after brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher split following an agreement. Tickets for the band's UK and Ireland tour went live back in August, with some fans taking to social media to write about inflated prices and long wait times, with some missing out on buying tickets altogether, according to CNN.

Live Nation told CNN that 1.4 million tickets went live for purchase, with 10 million fans from around the world ready to buy them. After the sale, some tickets were relisted on secondary sites at inflated prices, with CNN reporting that some tickets cost as much as $7,294 on Viagogo.

A Live Nation and SJM representative told the network that reselling tickets on secondary sites violated the terms of the Oasis tour, adding that canceled tickets would be put up for sale again on Ticketmaster, a platform owned by Live Nation.

According to CNN, tickets for the UK and Ireland leg of the tour were allowed to be bought and sold on Ticketmaster or official resale partner Tweekets. The network reported that 4% of tickets were sold on secondary sites such as Viagogo.

A Live Nation spokesperson told CNN that the restrictions were designed to prevent scalpers from taking advantage of Oasis fans. The company will refund canceled tickets and those who believe their tickets were canceled in error can speak to a ticket agent to investigate their case, according to CNN.

“All parties involved in the tour continue to urge fans not to purchase tickets from unauthorized websites as some are fraudulent and others may be void. If fans want to sell Oasis tickets, they can do so at face value through Ticketmaster or the band's official resale partner Tweakets,” a Live Nation spokesperson told CNN.

Concert tickets purchased legally can be resold in the United Kingdom without problems, according to CNN, which added that consumer protections are in place. Viagogo confirmed to CNN that it will continue to allow the resale of Oasis tickets, though it's unclear whether Live Nation will also cancel those tickets.

“We would like to assure fans purchasing tickets on Viagogo that we are fully compliant with the laws and guidelines set by the relevant regulators. Threats to cancel tickets from promoters unfairly target fans who have chosen to purchase on a safe, transparent, and highly regulated resale marketplace. Such actions are clear examples of anti-consumer and retaliatory behavior,” a Viagogo spokesperson told the network.