Fifa files criminal complaint against official Hong Kong Sevens ticket reseller Viagogo
Soccer’s governing body continues its crackdown on unauthorised World Cup sales at marked-up prices with the opening match just over a week away
Fifa has filed a criminal complaint in Switzerland against online ticket platform Viagogo – the same reseller used for the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens – in its crackdown on unauthorised World Cup sales at marked-up prices.
Fifa said on Tuesday it joined other parties filing criminal complaints against alleged “opaque and deceptive business conduct” by Viagogo in the so-called secondary market.
The legal action filed on Monday was “based on a breach of the law on unfair competition against Viagogo AG with the public prosecutor’s office in Geneva”, soccer’s world governing body said in a statement.
“Fifa’s ultimate objective in the fight against the secondary ticket market is to prioritise the safety and security of fans and enforce a fair 2018 Fifa World Cup ticketing pricing scheme,” it said.
Last week, UK’s digital minister Margo James urged the industry and fans to boycott Viagogo after it was shamed by the Advertising Standards Authority for breaking advertising rules by failing to tell consumers about “hidden” fees which significantly push up the total cost of event tickets.
