Fans fleeced once again as Ticketmaster fail to fluctuate on 'shocking' customer service

It’s hard to tell what was more alarming – the fact people accepted that ticket prices could fluctuate on an official selling site or the fact that Ticketmaster were able to do it in the first place.

Either way, something's got to give.

Many Bruce Springsteen fans were left reeling after tickets for his Edinburgh Murrayfield gig skyrocketed to almost three times their original price on an official ticket selling website as part of Ticketmaster’s 'fluctuating demand model', which they appear to have introduced quietly at some point after lockdown.

Under Ticketmaster and promoters LiveNation’s “dynamic pricing” model, ticket prices may fluctuate based on demand.

Fans faced fluctuating prices for Bruce Springsteen tickets

In short, it meant fans who may have been about to buy a ticket for £155 faced a cost of almost three times more when trying to buy the same ticket – with the £155 ticket no longer available – for £442 instead.

It is, frankly, scandalous – but unsurprising if you have been following events regarding the ticket selling site of late.

NFL fans keen to see a competitive game of American football in Munich were left empty-handed after no captcha or verification was put in place before tickets went on sale. Fans who were 60,000th place in the queue missed out only to see the precious tickets on second-hand selling sites going for ten times the price just a few minutes later.

The monopoly enjoyed by ticket sellers needs to be curtailed.

Fans are getting fleeced amid a cost-of-living crisis by ticket selling sites failing in their basic duty – and they’re getting away with it.

Those that go to gigs at the moment are at the mercy of promoters and vendors and, while this has always been the case more must be done to ensure things such as fluctuated prices do not become the norm.

Artists such as Crowded House have spoken out against such policies, but it will take a universal approach from artists, politicians and more to truly start putting fans first.

At the moment fans are faced with longer security lines, worse experiences and insane ticket prices that can change at the drop of a hat. Something needs to be done – and fans finally need to be put first.