by NADEEM BADSHAH ONLINE TICKET SITES ACCUSED OF CHARGING INFLATED FEES FOR POPULAR EVENTS WEBSITES which facilitate the purchase and resale of tickets to Bollywood concerts and sports events have been criticised by campaigners over the booking fees they charge customers. Sellers on the online platforms have also been accused of taking advantage of diehard fans with the prices they are setting for tickets for gigs and cricket matches. On Viagogo, Britain’s biggest secondary ticketing website, a ticket to see Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s concert in Leicester in July ranged from £40-152, but that did not include a delivery fee, VAT and a booking fee. For the same gig, tickets started from £39.38 on Chilli Tickets with a £1 booking fee. Last week, football’s ruling body FIFA filed a criminal complaint against Viagogo, saying it wanted to protect fans and prevent unauthorised ticket resales at the World Cup in Russia starting this week. Zurich-based FIFA said last Tuesday (5) it had filed a complaint, based on the law on unfair competition, with the public prosecutor’s office in Geneva after complaints about the Swiss company’s practices. FIFA said that its own website was the only legitimate place to buy World Cup tickets, which are on sale until July 15, the final day of the tournament. Viagogo did not reply to a request for comment. Jasmine Birtles, director of financial advice website MoneyMagpie, said she would like to see a campaign to ban booking fees. She said: “I’m glad Eastern Eye is looking at this because it’s a ridiculous situation. “Booking fees are a particular bugbear of mine, there really is no justification for them. “Before the internet one might accept that there were costs involved in organising tickets, putting them in the post and so on. “But now the consumer does…
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