On Saturday morning, Irish Times consumer expert Conor Pope logged on to Ticketmaster, ready to take his own advice about navigating the sales platform to buy tickets for one of the Oasis gigs in Dublin next summer.
He found himself behind 138,692 people in the queue and hours later, when he was finally offered tickets, they were nearly four times what he had expected to pay.
Tickets had been advertised at €86.50 but they were no where to be seen and soon social media filled up with stories of people paying nearly €1,000 for two “in demand” standing tickets on the pitch in Croke Park.
Oasis fans in Ireland and the UK were quick to vent their frustration at the pricey tickets and the lack of transparency in the sales process.
Donald Trump launches America’s 250th birthday celebrations with extraordinary attack
Ireland to see warm weather next week with temperatures up to 25 degrees
Men accused of going on €5,000 shopping spree with stolen card barred from parts of Dublin city
Irish in Europe: ‘I love how affordable it is. There’s none of your €8 pints’
But who is to blame – Ticketmaster, MCD, the promoters, or Oasis? And can the competition watchdog do anything?
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
