How to up your chances of securing that hot ticket

YOUR CONSUMER RIGHTS CHAMPION

- Martyn James is a leading consumer rights campaigner, TV and radio broadcaster and journalist

If you've missed out on grabbing tickets to see your favourite artist play live recently, you might be feeling that the odds are stacked against you when it comes to booking online. The same goes for bagging a spot at a sporting event. Even a humble theatre trip can be an impossible dream when you are trying to snap up a seat at the latest “hot ticket” show.

It turns out that it’s not just high demand that leaves 107,023 in the online queue, waiting to find out how overpriced the tickets actually are. The touts and bots are fiddling the system.

A series of investigations recently confirmed that ticket touts are using Al, bots and technology to jump online ticket queues. Others are hiring huge teams in other countries to boost their chances of getting the best tickets.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has already made its displeasure with the ticketing industry clear. So if you are looking for a ticket to a gig or event, here’s my guide on what to watch out for.