A FRESH row over ticket touts has erupted after briefs for Sir Paul McCartney's instant sell out concert in Glasgow ended up on secondary sites at more than ten times their face value.
The tickets to see the 76-year-old Beatles legend at the SSE Hydro went on sale on Monday morning - but were sold out in seconds.
But minutes later they were being advertised on secondary ticket sites such as eBay-owned Stubhub, Switzerland-based Viagogo at up to ten times their face value.
One pair of tickets with a face value of £130 would have cost a buyer £3,728 including a whopping £960 in booking fees.
Fans took to social media to Twitter to complain to Ticketmaster about the situation.
Derek Douglas said: "Dear @TicketmasterUK. Been trying to buy McCartney Glasgow tickets online and on phone since 10.00. Your operation stinks."
Lucy Farrell said: "How can tickets for Paul McCartney be sold out before the 10am release. Absolutely awful service."
Vibe Tickets, which claims a transparent ticket resale platform said: "Paul McCartney tickets went on sale at 10am this morning, three dates Glasgow, Liverpool, London.
"Fans have been on Ticketmaster and AXS since 10, and are left empty-handed. The same old story! This has to change!"
@TicketmasterCS what’s happening with uk site? Says McCartney Glasgow tickets not available from ticketmaster 10 seconds after going on sale
— rob fraser (@squireknottyash) July 16, 2018
Paul McCartney at the Hydro had sold out within 2 seconds had it? @TicketmasterUK If the American Express customers had bought them all, you could have made that clear and saved me from wasting my time.
— Suzanne (@suzwats) July 16, 2018
Just been in a queue for Paul McCartney tickets from 10.00 to be told no tickets. No tickets on Ticketmaster at 10.01- but they appear on viagogo. This is totally unacceptable How are you ever supposed to get tickets as an ordinary fan ??? Shame on you Paul for accepting this.
— Julie Pierce (@KennyJuliekenn1) July 16, 2018
@TicketmasterCS @AXS_UK You’re a disgrace. Paul McCartney’s tickets are all over Viagogo and other third party sellers but you don’t have any available tickets for genuine fans. You need this thing sorted. I’m one of the lucky few who managed to buy tickets at face value. 😞
— JR CASTILLO (@JRDCastillo24) July 16, 2018
Stephen Lee, chairman of the Fair Ticketing Alliance said: "As a McCartney fan, I too was stumped for tickets.
"I was trying to get just two for myself and my partner. We were there on the dot at 10am and tried for an hour but nothing was available on both TicketMaster and AXS.
"Could all the standard tickets have gone straight to 'platinum' leaving none left for genuine fans? It's outrageous and yet another reason why the light of transparency should be shone on the primary market to reveal how many tickets they actually put on sale to ordinary fans in the first place."
It comes a year after a row over the ticket touting over the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival in Glasgow which have been sold for up to 30 times their face value and had been described as the "real rock 'n' roll swindle".
Tickets to see electro-pioneers Depeche Mode who played the 2,100-capacity Glasgow Barrowland were sold out in minutes with £30 briefs immediately becoming available on the Viagogo ticketing resale site and offered for up to £879 each.
The touting came despite a BBC warning that tickets resold for profit or commercial gain by anyone other than nominated ticket agent, the Ticketmaster-owned Ticketweb will become void.
The taxpayer-funded broadcaster had warned fans there were restrictions on tickets and people with resold briefs would be barred.
Concerns about resold tickets also erupted three years ago when the Lawn Tennis Association warned disgruntled fans buying tickets resold by touts for the sell-out Davis Cup semi final featuring Andy Murray in Glasgow that they might be voided, after many complained that tickets were being swiftly resold for up to £1,399 each, over 14 times their original face value.
Hundreds of tickets became available through resale and ticket exchange agencies including eBay company Stubhub for up to £750, Viagogo for up to £700, and the Ticketmaster firms Seatwave and Get Me In! for £500 and £750 respectively.
In November, Scots trading standards officers said they were considering prosecuting touts for misleading the public in the continuing row over the resale of tickets to popular music, theatre and sporting events often at inflated prices.
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