Sharon has been battling ticket touts to make sure that music fans don’t pay extortionate amounts for their tickets. Many gigs sell out within minutes, and this is often due to ticket touts buying up tickets, only to sell them on at inflated prices. Sharon has been making sure that we know that the consumer and the artist lose out, while the tout is left with all the cash.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee carried out a useful review on ticket touts, which can be accessed here. The report outlines the disadvantages, but also some advantages of ticket touting, such as being able buy tickets very close to the event. Sharon remains convinced that ticket touts damage the industry and mean that people have to fork out too much money to go and see bands or sport. Sharon will continue to fight for the rights of the consumer on this issue.
Sharon has received complaints about cashback offers from mobile phone companies and has raised the issue in Parliament with the Minister for Trade, Development and Consumer Affairs, Gareth Thomas. Mr Thomas said that he has been discussing the issue with Consumer Focus, a consumer organisation who work with Ofcom and that the Government is considering what can be done to help.
Cashback deals are offered to customers who take out new contracts, and the company promises to refund some or all of their upfront costs at a later date. This can mean that customers sign up to more expensive tariffs with the understanding that they will be able to claim back money. However, the cash is sometimes difficult to obtain and many customers do not claim it back. These schemes have been criticised and Ofcom receives hundreds of complaints every week.
For see the question, click here.
Go back <<
Sharon Hodgson << Go back to Sharon Hodgson's Home Page.
www.sharonhodgson.org
Sharon Hodgson MP
House of Commons,
London SW1A 0AA
E-mail: hodgsons@parliament.uk
Constituency Office Tel. 0191 417 2000.
Sharon Hodgson's website is not funded through House of Commons expenses. | 
