Indian authorities take action on ticket scalping

October 24, 2024

A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in India calling for strict guidelines on the domestic resale market in the wake of ticket sale controversies for concerts by Coldplay and Diljit Dosanjh.

Indian Police are investigating an alleged resale scam relating to Coldplay’s shows in Mumbai in January 2025 after tickets - priced between 2,500 rupees (US$30) to 12,000 rupees (US$142) - quickly reappeared on secondary ticketing platforms with mark ups as high 900,000 rupees (US$10,700).

It followed similar controversy over Punjabi singer’s Diljit Dosanjh’s upcoming concert in the country, which saw tickets sold via Zomato Live appearing on resale platforms at significant mark-ups soon after selling out.

The PIL, which has been lodged at Bombay High Court by lawyer Amit Vyas of Vertices Partners, alleges “several irregularities and illegalities” during the sale of tickets for large events and accuses resellers of violating consumer protection rules.

“The … facts and circumstances serve as a stark reminder of the challenges facing live events in the digital age.”

The Delhi High Court has is also taking action against ticket resellers and the invalid resale of concert tickets by issuing a notice to the Central Government and several private entities.

It seeks the establishment of strict controls to regulate the resale of tickets and block illegal ticket-selling websites amid rising concerns over scalpers.

India’s Chief Justice Manmohan’s division bench has also asked for responses from key governmental ministries.

It has been combined with a broader public interest litigation on ticket scalping that is scheduled to go before the Court in February next year.

The Times of India reports that Vyas is calling on authorities to create provisional regulations to “prevent ticket scalping, touting and black marketing until specific legislation is enacted”.

Vyas’ complaint, as reported by CNBC, states "the … facts and circumstances serve as a stark reminder of the challenges facing live events in the digital age, where the joy of securing tickets to see your favourite artist can quickly turn into a frustrating and potentially costly ordeal.

“It also highlights the need for a robust system to ensure fair access to tickets and prevent exploitation by ticket scalpers and bots.”

Vyas previously filed a criminal complaint against Indian ticketing firm BookMyShow (BMS) and others, accusing the company of colluding with resale sites to scalp tickets for the three Coldplay concert - allegations the firm denies.

BMS, which partnered with the band on the shows, has threatened to void tickets sold on the black market and lodged a formal First Information Report (FIR) with Mumbai police urging authorities to investigate “the unauthorised resale of tickets by individuals and platforms.”

Image: Tickets for Coldplay’s shows in the Indian city of Mumbai in January 2025 have appeared on the resale market with significant markups. Image shows Coldpay in Perth in November last year.

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