Coldplay launch auction site to stop fan rip-off

by Staff, Brand Republic 21-Nov-05, 15:30

LONDON - Coldplay have launched their own auction website to stop fans being ripped off when buying tickets online.

The band, whose number-one selling third album 'X&Y' was released earlier this year, said that whenever they announced tour dates a large amount of tickets ended up on sites like eBay and tout websites, which are known as "scalper sites".

In an effort to halt this, the band is auctioning off a limited number of tickets with Ticketmaster, with part of the proceeds going to charity. The band is encouraging fans not to buy from other auction sites.

In a statement the band, led by Chris Martin, said: "Whenever we put our tickets up for sale an enormous amount of them end up being sold on. We have given a small number of tickets for the next North American tour to Ticketmaster to auction through a legitimate auction site that they have set up just for Coldplay, of which a portion of the proceeds from these auctions will be donated to charity."

The banded added that the move was part of their ongoing plan to make sure as many tickets get into real fans' hands and to "stop scalpers making money and making fans miserable from counterfeit tickets".

The first fans to benefit will be Americans as the band embarks on its Twisted Logic US tour, which begins in Seattle in January before taking in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Denver and Oakland.

The band already operates a ticket lottery where fans can register their interest for shows. These fans then can buy pre-sales tickets.

The band's third single taken from the platinum selling 'X&Y' album is 'Talk', which will be released on December 19. The track features a rift taken from Krafkwerk's 'Computer Love'.

Coldplay fans can bid for tickets on the Ticketmaster website.

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