• Inflated UFC tickets contravening WA’s anti-ticket scalping laws may be cancelled
• Risk of refused entry to fans with tickets sold for more than ten per cent mark-up
• Advice for ticket holders who have purchased from unauthorised resellers

Consumer Protection is again warning consumers who may have purchased inflated tickets from unauthorised resellers to the upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC 284) at Perth's RAC Arena, that there is a high risk they may be refused entry, or that their tickets will be cancelled.

A number of unauthorised resellers and individuals have sold tickets to the UFC event via websites or classified ad sites such as Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace at much more than the legally allowed ten per cent mark-up in Western Australia.

Consumer Protection is currently investigating whether these individuals or companies selling inflated tickets to the event have breached WA’s ticket scalping laws.

While the investigation is ongoing, consumers should exercise a high degree of caution when purchasing tickets through unauthorised platforms and should only purchase from the UFC directly or Ticketek, who are the authorised and exclusive selling agent for the event on 12 February 2023, or Ticketek’s reselling platform Ticketek Marketplace.

One unauthorised reseller has recently stated on their website that there is a ticket delay, with the release date for physical ticket downloads being pushed to two weeks before the event. There is a risk that these ticket holders may not be granted entry to the event due to Ticketek’s ticket resale restriction under their terms and conditions and if these tickets do not comply with the ticket scalping laws.

Commissioner for Consumer Protection Trish Blake advises eager fans to be wary of spending extra on tickets through unauthorised resellers.

“It is very possible that tickets may not be valid and you could be refused entry to this highly anticipated event, which would be a disappointing outcome and may leave ticket holders out of pocket,” Ms Blake said. 

“If you have purchased a ticket from an unauthorised reseller that appears to comply with the allowed ten per cent mark-up law, contact Ticketek to advise that your ticket has been re-sold, provide proof that the reseller appears to comply with the law and ask for the name on the ticket be changed.

“For those ticket holders who purchased tickets from an unauthorised reseller for more than the allowed ten per cent mark-up, I would highly recommend going back to the supplier or individual seller as soon as possible and seek a refund.”

If a refund request is refused or not forthcoming and payment was made either by PayPal or credit card, consumers can lodge a payment dispute with PayPal or a credit card chargeback with their bank or credit card provider, and then lodge a complaint with Consumer Protection.

Unauthorised resellers may try to disguise the inflated ticket prices by offering a package with food and accommodation included. These sales are allowed but only if the supplier provides a specific breakdown of the costs of goods and services in the package before any money is paid.

Consumers should be vigilant when shopping around online for event tickets. Recent changes to the Australian Consumer Law now require online ticket resellers to clearly disclose that they are not the primary ticket provider, as well as prominently display the original price of tickets, making it easier to identify if the ticket sale is legal or not.

These changes complement the WA Ticket Scalping Act, making it illegal for online resellers to sell most tickets to WA events for more than ten per cent on top of the original price. They also have to identify the location of the seat or viewing spot for each ticket.

Fines range from $2,000 in infringements notices to $20,000 for individuals and $100,000 for companies if the matter goes to court. Even higher penalties apply to those using ‘bots’ to purchase bulk tickets which is also illegal in WA.

More information on ticket scalping is available on the Consumer Protection website. People who see concert or event tickets being sold online at more than ten per cent over their original value, should report it to Consumer Protection by emailing consumer@dmirs.wa.gov.au or calling 1300 30 40 54.

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Media Contact: Jasmine Sidhu, (08) 6552 9233 / 0423 846 397 / cpmedia@dmirs.wa.gov.au