One of the controversial ticket resale platforms is currently drowning in criminal proceedings. The company Billets.ca and its president, Éric Bussières, are the subject of 26 infractions by the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions.
For what? For having resold, in 2022 and 2023, tickets at a price exceeding that which the seller authorized by the producer of the show had announced, as well as show tickets which were not in their possession or under their control. If the company were found guilty, the fine per finding could be up to $100,000.
Resale companies may pride themselves on acting as intermediaries between the seller and the buyer, but when they sell a show ticket at a price higher than that announced by the producer, they are indeed infringing the Quebec Consumer Protection Actunless they meet a host of conditions.
“The ticket resellers are an organized system, but they have not obtained permission from the producers to sell these show tickets for a price that was jointly negotiated,” explains Julie-Anne Richard, general director of the Professional association of show presenters — RIDEAU. In the entertainment industry, the venue and the producer set a ticket price based on various factors. They agree, it’s in the contract.”
However, she deplores, “when an illegal reseller adds $20, $30, $40 to a price, that escapes these contractual conditions. And it’s the public who pays the price.”
Buy on the official websites of venues, artists or productions
Last summer, in the wake of fraudulent online sales of passes for the Quebec Summer Festival, its communications director, Samantha McKinley, maintained that “the only way to be sure of the validity of your purchase is to acquire tickets directly from the source.
Indeed, tickets purchased on the official websites of venues, artists, festivals or productions are transmitted by official ticket offices, such as Tuxedo, Lepointdevente or Ticketmaster.
Check the hyperlink of the site you are on, because no one is safe from coming across a reseller’s platform rather than an official platform — not even the general director of RIDEAU. “Warned as I am, I almost got caught again very recently,” admits Julie-Anne Richard.
Wanting to get two tickets for a Zaho de Sagazan concert in Montreal, she entered, from her cell phone, the name of the French artist, the venue and “tickets” in her search engine, then she clicked on the first result displayed. About to complete the transaction, she suddenly realized that she was on a resale site.
“In fact, the tickets I was offered cost around 30% more,” she remembers. It wasn’t the right price I should have paid.”
“In general, we strongly advise festival-goers not to obtain tickets via resale sites,” Samantha McKinley, of the FEQ, also said last spring.
Be careful when buying a ticket from a cell phone: its small screen does not help you pay attention to the details of the interface of a web page. “Organized resale sites are designed to deceive the public, in particular by collecting seating plans,” specifies Julie-Anne Richard.
Look at the third result in a search engine
Official broadcaster sites rarely appear at the top of results when you search online. Julie-Anne Richard calls for vigilance: “By simply entering the name of an artist into a search engine and “tickets”, we frequently arrive on resale sites, in fact. They usually come out first.”
“Resale systems have excellent referencing,” she emphasizes, “often much better than those of theaters. Probably because they put a lot of money into it.”
So, take the time to look at the second, third, or even fourth result displayed in the search engine — the broadcaster or artist’s website is probably there.
Check the venue and artist newsletters
Subscribe to newsletters from your favorite artists or venues. Not only do you stay up to date with their activities, but you also have the right link straight away to get a show ticket.
“They allow you to know what is coming and to pay the right price for tickets,” recalls Julie-Anne Richard. In addition, they encourage discoveries and give ideas.”
These newsletters also offer benefits to their community, such as discounts or early ticket sales (which guarantees you a place at a show you don’t want to miss).
Consult The Showcase
The La Vitrine platform lists all the cultural events presented every day across the province. “The site is hyper-reliable,” assures Julie-Anne Richard. This is not a resale site at all. It allows the cultural offering to be visible to the entire population of Quebec on a single platform.” The Event Tickets button takes you to the official ticket office.
You can also create your account to receive suggestions for tailor-made cultural outings. And subscribe to the newsletter, your precious ally!
Opt for an annual subscription
If you cherish a particular performance hall and frequent it regularly, it is wise to opt for an annual subscription rather than purchasing individual tickets throughout the cultural year. This reduces the unit price of your tickets.
Many venues also offer preferential rates to certain age groups, such as those under 30 or older people. If you are one of them, take advantage!
Also read: Dynamic pricing in concerts in 10 questions
The Coops de l’information are proud to team up with Protégez-vous to offer you content every Friday that will advise you on various facets of our daily realities. Discover more content on the website Protect yourself.
