Oasis tickets: Ticketmaster to make pricing clearer following CMA probe

Ticketmaster has agreed to give fans better information about the prices of tickets, following an investigation into its Oasis ticket sale by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

The CMA launched its probe last year after Ticketmaster's use of 'in demand' pricing for Oasis' reunion tour saw some tickets soar from the advertised £148.50 to more than £300.

Which? warned Ticketmaster's lack of transparency over inflated prices could have potentially breached consumer law, and called for the ticket site to refund those who had paid over the odds.

The CMA has now secured commitments from Ticketmaster around how it advertises ticket prices. But while these changes are positive, Which? is disappointed the regulator did not seek to get refunds for Oasis fans.

Here, we look at the changes Ticketmaster has agreed to and why we think the regulator should have gone further.

What changes is Ticketmaster making?

Ticketmaster has agreed to make a number of changes following the CMA's investigation.

If a ticket sale uses tiered pricing – as with the Oasis sale – Ticketmaster must inform fans of this at least 24 hours before a sale begins.

This is to ensure consumers know beforehand there are multiple prices for the same type of ticket.

Ticketmaster must also let fans know the range of ticket prices when they join the virtual queue, so they know what to expect when they reach the seat selection stage.

During the sale, Ticketmaster must inform fans when the cheaper seats sell out, allowing those who don't want to pay higher prices to leave the queue.

Ticketmaster must also describe tickets accurately and not use any misleading labels to avoid giving the impression one ticket is better than another when that's not the case.

Oasis tickets surged to more than double the advertised price

These changes come after the CMA found a number of concerns about how Ticketmaster presented its pricing information during the Oasis sale.

One issue was the sale of 'platinum' ticket for nearly two-and-a-half times the price of equivalent standard tickets. According to the CMA, Ticketmaster failed to sufficiently explain these tickets offered no additional benefits and were often located in the same area of the stadium.

It also highlighted Ticketmaster did not tell fans waiting in lengthy queues that standing tickets were being sold at two different prices – and that these prices would jump as soon as the cheap tickets sold out.

To help inform its investigation, Which? shared dozens of screenshots with the CMA sent to us by fans who had tried to buy tickets, both before and after prices increased.

None of these screenshots showed a warning message that Ticketmaster would increase prices during the sale.

Instead, Which? saw evidence that fans were shown one ticket price when they were queuing for tickets, only to have that price taken away at the last second and replaced with a far higher – and unexpected – ticket price when the page reloaded.

In one example, the cost of standing tickets – originally advertised to the consumer for £148.50 – had surged to £337.50 each due to ‘in demand’ pricing. This meant four standing tickets could cost an eye-watering £1,400, once service and order processing fees were included.

We expressed concern that Ticketmaster's lack of transparency around its 'in demand' pricing could have breached the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (CPRs), as many fans weren't informed about price rises until after they'd tried to add cheaper tickets to their baskets.

Under the CPRs, when advertising a product, traders must not mislead consumers with how prices are presented or leave out key pricing information that might be needed to make an informed decision about a purchase. The regulations also blacklist 31 specific practices, including bait advertising.

• Read more: how to complain if you've been misled by a sale or special offer

Which? is disappointed at lack of refunds

Lisa Webb, Which? Consumer Law Expert, said:

'Which? has campaigned for fairer pricing practices and wanted to see Ticketmaster being forced to do the right thing by the CMA, which should include refunding the difference to fans who paid more than the expected face value for tickets.

'While it's positive that Ticketmaster has agreed to follow the rules moving forward, it is disappointing that the CMA is not using its power to demand refunds for fans. Those who felt ripped off when buying Oasis tickets last year will undoubtedly feel let down that Ticketmaster hasn't been held to account for its past behaviour.

'Since this incident the CMA has been given stronger powers. It needs to show that it is willing to use them to create a meaningful deterrent for breaches of consumer law.'

• Read more: how to get a refund from a ticket seller

This article was originally published on 10 September 2024 and was updated on 25 September 2025 with the news that Ticketmaster had agreed to make changes following the CMA's investigation.