Twickets set to be the first face-value ticket reseller in the US


 
Twickets, a popular England-based fan-to-fan ticket resale platform, is coming to the US this fall. The platform allows fans to resell unwanted tickets, with prices capped at face value (any booking fees incurred with the original purchase can be included at the seller’s discretion). Twickets then collects a 10 percent transaction fee from the buyer for each sale.
Other popular ticket resale sites, like Ticketmaster and StubHub, allow sellers to set their own price, often resulting in steep markups for high-profile events. When it debuts this fall, Twickets will be the first secondary market ticket platform to require face value sale in the US.
If a fan wants to sell a ticket, Twickets will first check to make sure the ticket is authentic. It can then be posted, and the platform will send alerts to interested users. Once sold, there are an array of options available for delivery, including uploading an e-ticket, meeting up before the show, mailing the physical ticket, or dropping the ticket off at one of Twickets’ retail partners. Some venues will also offer box office collect, where the original ticket is cancelled, and a new one issued in its place.
Founder Richard Davies tells Amplify that Twickets “was set up to counter the growth in the secondary ticketing market in the UK several years ago to provide an alternative for genuine fans who really genuinely couldn’t make a show. So to find another buyer, get their money back, and insure another fan attended in their place.”
Since its launch in 2015, Twickets has grown from a Twitter-only community to the largest fan-to-fan ticket platform in Europe, with endorsements from artists like Adele and Mumford and Sons. They have also partnered with festivals including End of the Road and Kendal Calling, as well as ticket agents like Myticket.co.uk.
In the US, ticket reselling law varies greatly by state, and Davies tells Amplify that he has had a number of productive talks with New York state Senator Daniel Squadron about combating bad resale behavior. New York, says Davies, is “very aggressive and they’ve been ahead of the curve in many respects. Actually, they have beaten the UK to legislation against bots.”
Last year, New York passed a law making running ticket bots a misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and a year in jail. Those who knowingly resell tickets that are purchased with a bot are also subject to penalty.
Davies estimates the platform has facilitated the sale of over 500,000 tickets so far, and Twickets has recently expanded from music into working with football teams in the UK and Australia.
To find out more and be notified when Twickets launches in the US,

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