GENEVA: Ahead of the World Cup in Russia, FIFA has filed a criminal complaint against online ticket platform Viagogo – the same reseller used for the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens – in its crackdown on unauthorised ticket resales.
Football’s governing body reportedly received several complaints from individuals, consumer protection bodies and other market players over the deceptive business conduct of viagogo.
As a result, FIFA took action by joining hands with other stakeholders that have already filed criminal complaints against viagogo in Switzerland.
Recently, FIFA held discussions with UEFA over having a fair ticketing pricing scheme for football events and partnered with the Fédérationromande des consommateurs (FRC), the consumer protection association for French-speaking Switzerland, which is a strong advocate against ticket sales conducted through unauthorised sources.
Tickets purchased via unauthorised distribution channels, including all tickets purchased through viagogo AG, will be cancelled once identified by the FIFA, which will conduct strict admission checks at venues in Russia with local authorities.
