The Government is cracking down on ticket scalping and plans to stop the practice.
Speaking to media today the Prime Minister said: "Many New Zealanders are being subject to ticketing scams and fraud, including unknowingly buying tickets at inflated prices from unofficial sites," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said today.
"Measures planned include a price cap on resale tickets, enforcing rules around information that needs to be disclosed to better inform consumers, and banning ticket-buying 'bots'."
Ms Ardern said today ticket bots were being used to buy tickets online "and then resell them at hugely inflated prices".
It comes after the Government began researching the issue of price-hiking in April, 2018. (Source: Other)
"Many people have already lost out financially and on experiences... Consumers aren't getting a fair deal."
Last April, Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi asked his staff to start researching the issue of legalised price-hiking of events.
Today's announcement comes after concert-goers keen to get their hands on tickets to big-name acts such as Bruno Mars, Pink and Celine Dion found themselves outbid and outraged by websites selling tickets with a huge mark up – sometimes to the tune of hundreds of dollars per seat.
The Government will consult with the public, with legislation set to be drafted after April this year.
Mr Faafoi said Viagogo received 400 complaints since 2017 to the Commerce Commission.
In August last year, Ticketmaster would not switch to a face value resale service in New Zealand, despite the company doing so in the UK and Europe.
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