Among the changes is a new rule that means customers should find it easier to get money back when things go wrong.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has made a legally binding court order that means the company will be forced to comply with certain measures.
From mid-January, Viagogo will have to:
- tell customers if there is a risk that they will be turned away at the door
- tell people which seat they'll get
- provide information about the seller
- stop giving misleading information about the availability and popularity of tickets
- make it easy for people to get their money back under Viagogo’s guarantee
- prevent the sale of tickets a seller does not own or may not be able to supply
The resale company will also have to publish the face value of tickets on its site, something the CMA says it has historically failed to do.
The order is legally binding and enforceable by the court.
If Viagogo fails to comply with the court order, the company could face a fine and certain individuals involved could face imprisonment.
The third party ticketing website has been inundated with complaints over tickets.
One mother who forked out hundreds of pounds for tickets for her terminally-ill daughter to see Ed Sheeran spoke to The Sun about her heartbreak at having them cancelled.
Another distraught mother claimed she has was left more than £1,400 out of pocket after she tried to buy Ed Sheeran tickets through the resale site. She had thought she would only be charged £262.99.
The firm was also criticised for taking advantage of an overseas loophole to flog prized Euro 2016 seats for around £18,000 a pair.
Meanwhile, a boxing fan who splashed out £2,400 for a ticket to a Floyd Mayweather v Conor McGregor superfight feared he was scammed on Viagogo after finding out tickets were weeks away from going on official sale.
And one couple spent thousands to go and see a Formula One race, only to find out one of the tickets was fake.
'It is £700 down the drain and I have got nowhere to turn'
Andrea Grant, 41, shelled out through resale website Viagogo on a surprise gift for the seven-year-old to see his "idol" at a concert in Wales in this year.
Andrea, a domestic cleaner, believed Viagogo must have be a verified seller as it was the top search hit on Google.
She forked out £170 per ticket – double the face value – and a total of £700 including Viagogo's fees.
Now the tickets have been cancelled she says the resale website refused her a refund – and instead offered to sell them on to another customer even though they cannot be used.
The forces wife, of Torpoint, Devon, told the Plymouth Herald: "I feel helpless. I wish to God I had never have bought them.
"Now we are stuck and I feel completely helpless. It is £700 down the drain and I have got nowhere to turn."
She added: "It was just supposed to be a massive treat for our son. Ed Sheeran is his idol.
"I just feel absolutely gutted. It's been a very uneasy few days and I haven't slept or eaten much.
"I have been told by Viagogo to resell the tickets back to it via the site, but I have been advised by others not to do that."
Andrea Coscelli, CMA chief executive officer, said: “This court order is a victory for anyone who decides to buy a ticket through Viagogo.
"We have been clear throughout our investigation that people who use these resale websites must know key facts before parting with their hard-earned money, including what seat they will get and whether there is a risk they might not actually get into the event at all.
“Viagogo has agreed to a comprehensive overhaul of its site to ensure it respects the law.”
A spokesperson for Viagogo said: “We are pleased that we have been able to work closely with the CMA to come to an agreement that provides even greater transparency to consumers.”
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