Ticket Touts Exploit Fans with Bulk Buying and Overseas Workers**

A recent investigation reveals ticket touts are using "ticket pullers" in other countries to buy up popular concert tickets, leading to significant profits and leaving fans behind. The UK government is contemplating legislative action to address the issue.**

Ticket touts have allegedly capitalized on the high demand for concert tickets by employing teams of overseas workers, dubbed "ticket pullers," to bulk-buy entries for events featuring top artists like Oasis and Taylor Swift. An undercover investigation by BBC Wales found that these touts are generating significant revenue through this practice, with one tout admitting his operation secured hundreds of tickets for Swift’s highly anticipated Eras tour.

During the investigation, a recruiter in Pakistan revealed that his team could acquire multiple tickets in bulk, claiming that some touts in the UK are pulling in over £500,000 a year. Tickets for Oasis's upcoming reunion tour, which includes more than 900,000 sales, have already appeared on resale sites for over £6,000—40 times the original cost. Many fans endured long online waits only to miss out completely or to be forced to buy tickets at inflated prices.

Experts indicate the operation involves using illegal automated software and multiple identities that could border on fraud, suggesting that larger ticketing firms may not be doing enough to prevent these practices. Reports have surfaced of thousands of tickets for other high-demand events, including Premier League football matches, being sold for profit without proper authorization.

Former insiders from the ticketing industry shared insights into the methods employed by these touts, illustrating a culture of speculative selling where tickets are advertised without ownership rights, potentially deceiving enthusiastic buyers. Notably, the current law prohibits unauthorized ticket resale for sports events in the UK, yet enforcement remains a significant challenge.

In response to these ongoing issues, the UK government is considering new legislation aimed at curbing ticket touting, including proposals for resale price caps and increased penalties. Experts and lawmakers agree that without decisive and effective measures, fans will continue to suffer from inflated ticket prices resulting from these unethical practices.

Dame Caroline Dinenage of the UK government’s Culture, Media, and Sports committee highlighted the urgent need for consumer protection, asserting that the current landscape is rife with exploitation, calling for more robust intervention to assist genuine fans looking to enjoy live events without financial strain.