The U.K.’s competition watchdog has launched an investigation into the way tickets were sold for next year’s reunion concerts from iconic 1990s Britpop band Oasis.
In a statement Thursday, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its investigation into Live Nation Entertainment’s unit Ticketmaster will look specifically at “dynamic pricing,” whereby prices can vary rapidly in light of changing market conditions.
Many Oasis fans who queued online at the Ticketmaster site for many hours on Saturday complained that they ended up paying more than double the face value of the ticket as a result of this dynamic pricing.
The watchdog said it would scrutinize whether the sale of Oasis tickets by Ticketmaster may have breached consumer protection law and whether the company engaged in unfair commercial practices.
“It’s important that fans are treated fairly when they buy tickets, which is why we’ve launched this investigation,” said Sarah Cardell, the watchdog’s chief executive. “It’s clear …