Australian consumer advocacy group Choice has given Ticketek and Ticketmaster its 2026 Shonky Awards, which recognize businesses it considers to offer some of the country’s worst products and services. Choice CEO Monique Perry accused the companies of “fleecing fans,” citing pricing practices that she said can make live events more expensive during a cost-of-living crisis.
Choice said the ticketing firms use tactics including dynamic pricing, higher-priced “in demand” tickets, concealing prices before sales begin and time limits during checkout. Perry said these practices can take advantage of fans trying to secure tickets.
As an example, Choice pointed to tickets for a John Farnham tribute concert listed on Ticketek for up to A$1,650 (US$1,153). Ticketek said that price applied to its Ultimate premium ticket, which was not subject to dynamic pricing and accounted for less than 1% of tickets available for the event.
Ticketek said variable pricing affected fewer than 7% of tickets for The Songs of John Farnham: A Living Legend – The Celebration Concert. It said prices increased for categories representing about 3.7% of tickets and decreased for categories representing 3.3%, while more than 92% were sold at their original fixed prices. The company said artists, promoters or event organizers set ticket prices and decide whether to use variable pricing, with customers notified of possible changes before sales open.
Ticketmaster also said event organizers set ticket prices, and denied using surge pricing or algorithms that automatically raise prices in response to demand. For tickets designated “in demand,” organizers may set prices closer to market value and review them during the sales period, the company said, adding that prices do not automatically rise when more fans join a queue.
Choice has previously campaigned for a clearer secondary ticket market and gave Viagogo a Shonky Award in 2017. The awards are in their 21st year; other businesses named by Choice this year included Virgin Australia, Hisense, Petcover, Quest Protein Chips and Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Sources: Billboard.