Is viagogo legit? What UK buyers should know before paying

Is viagogo legit? Yes: viagogo is a real ticket resale marketplace, legal to use in the UK, and not a scam. Sellers set the prices, viagogo charges fees, and its buyer promise offers replacement tickets or a full refund if an order fails.

A UK regulator is still investigating how viagogo shows its fees, so use it with your eyes open. Compare the final price with StubHub and Hellotickets, and read each listing’s rules before you pay.

What is viagogo, and is it a real company?

viagogo is a real company that runs an online resale marketplace, a website where people sell tickets to other fans. It is not a primary seller, meaning the club, venue or ticket company that sells a ticket first. Most tickets on viagogo have already been bought once by someone else.

The British site, viagogo.co.uk, is run by viagogo GmbH. Sellers list for free and set their own prices, so the ticket price comes from the seller, not from viagogo.

viagogo’s help centre says Eric Baker founded the company in 2006 and that it moved its headquarters to New York in 2021. It also says it has more than 50 million listings, works in over 200 countries and territories, and offers customer support in 40 languages.

Who owns viagogo?

viagogo operates under StubHub Holdings, according to its help centre, and Eric Baker was one of the original founders of StubHub. viagogo bought StubHub from eBay in 2020. But the Competition and Markets Authority made it sell StubHub’s business outside North America, so in the UK the two are rivals: stubhub.co.uk is run by StubHub International.

How does buying on viagogo work?

Buying on viagogo works much like any online shop, except that the seller is someone else and the ticket may arrive close to the event. Follow these steps in order:

1. Find your event on viagogo.co.uk or in the viagogo app.
2. Read the listing, the seller’s advert, for the section, quantity, restrictions and ticket type.
3. Go to the last checkout screen. viagogo says you see the total there, with a list of all fees.
4. Click “Buy now” only when you are sure. That click completes the order, and you cannot cancel it.
5. Wait for your tickets. Instant download tickets arrive within minutes. Others get an estimated delivery date, often close to the event.
6. Accept your tickets. A mobile transfer, where the seller sends the ticket to your phone, arrives as an email from the company that first sold it, such as Ticketmaster, AXS or DICE.

How much are viagogo’s fees?

viagogo has no set fee percentage, according to its help centre. Fees can change with the ticket price, the time left before the event, event updates, and supply and demand.

viagogo charges fees to both buyers and sellers. It says you will see the total cost and a list of all fees at checkout, so judge that last screen, not the price on the event page.

Prices on viagogo can be above face value, the price printed on the ticket. The UK government announced a cap on resale prices on 19 November 2025, but on 10 August 2026 it was still “bringing forward draft legislation”.

What does viagogo promise if something goes wrong?

viagogo promises the tickets you bought, on time, or comparable or better replacements, or a full refund if there is a problem with the order. Its help centre sets out what happens in each case:

To get cash instead of credit, select “Request cash refund” on the credit in your Wallet. The money returns to your original payment method within 10 business days. Keep any physical tickets for 30 days, in case the seller needs them back.

Take the credit only if you will spend it on viagogo, in the same currency, within a year. Otherwise the cash refund is the cleaner choice. viagogo’s help pages list no separate ticket insurance.

What has the UK regulator said about viagogo?

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s consumer and competition regulator, still had an open investigation into viagogo’s fees at the end of October 2026. It is looking at whether mandatory fees are included in the price shown at the start of a purchase.

The CMA says it “should not be assumed” that viagogo has broken consumer law, and no finding has been made. Until it reports, the lesson is simple: the first price you see may not be the price you pay.

Is viagogo safe and trustworthy? What reviews say

viagogo is safe in the sense that its buyer rules are published and a real company stands behind them, but its reviews are sharply split. On 27 October 2026, Trustpilot showed 4.0 out of 5 from 52,442 reviews, with 37% giving five stars and 47% giving one.

Trustpilot’s AI summary of 5,960 recent reviews was kinder. It described easy purchases, clear updates and smooth entry to venues. Complaints covered high prices, deliveries very close to the event, wrong seating categories, platform errors and stressful dealings with support, and viagogo had not replied to negative reviews.

How do you check if viagogo tickets are real?

To check that viagogo tickets are real, compare them with your order: event, date, section and quantity. viagogo’s rules require sellers to list valid tickets and deliver the right ones on time. These details often worry first-time buyers:

• Someone else’s name on the ticket: this is usually the first buyer’s name. viagogo says that is fine for entry at most events.
• A different price on the ticket: resale tickets usually show what the first buyer paid.
• A seat number on a standing ticket: venues sometimes add these just to count sales.
• Different seats from your order: sellers may upgrade you. If the seats are much worse, contact viagogo straight away.
• A late delivery date: an estimate on or near the event day is normal, because venues often release tickets late for security.
• Matches abroad: Italy’s Tessera del Tifoso and Turkey’s Passolig fan cards must match the person attending, so ask viagogo before you buy.

What should you do before paying on viagogo?

Before paying on viagogo, try the original seller, compare the final total and read the listing notes. Skipping these checks is the classic first-timer’s mistake, and doing them in this order avoids the usual shocks:

1. Try the original seller first. If the club, venue or Ticketmaster still has seats, or runs capped resale, start there. Capped resale means the seller cannot charge more than a set price.
2. Compare the last screen, not the first price. Check the same seats on other sites, with all fees included.
3. Read the listing notes. A resale listing must show the seat, any restriction, the face value and any link between seller and site. That is section 90 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, so if something is missing, ask before you pay.
4. Treat “Buy now” as final. Check the date and the quantity first, because you cannot cancel.

Is viagogo legit for concerts, football, rugby and F1 tickets?

viagogo works the same way for concert, football, rugby and Formula 1 tickets: the same marketplace, the same fee rules and the same buyer promise. The answer does not change by artist or sport, whether you are searching for Oasis, Coldplay or anyone else.

• Best for: a sold-out concert, or an event abroad with no capped resale.
• Not worth it if: the original seller still has seats, or runs its own capped resale, such as Ticketmaster’s fan-to-fan service or a club’s own resale service. Start there.
• Think twice if: you might not be able to go, because “Buy now” is final.

How does viagogo compare with StubHub and other resale sites?

viagogo and StubHub are separate rivals in the UK, and neither is always better, because sellers set the prices on both. Compare the final total for the same seats.

What should you do if a viagogo order goes wrong?

If a viagogo order goes wrong, contact viagogo through the online form in its Help Centre, which it calls the fastest route. Do it early, because enquiries about events in the next few days are dealt with first.

1. Send the form with your order details and the problem.
2. If viagogo sends you a form about its buyer promise, finish it within 10 working days.
3. Expect a first reply within 24 hours, which is viagogo’s aim.
4. After investigating, viagogo says it will give you the outcome within 20 working days.
5. If you are unhappy with the decision, write to viagogo’s customer service to take it further.

Is viagogo legit for selling tickets?

viagogo is legit for selling tickets too, and you can relist a ticket you bought there even before it arrives. Sellers list for free, but viagogo charges a fee when fans sell.

1. Log in and open Orders.
2. Under the order details, select “Can’t attend? Sell your ticket.”
3. Set your price per ticket and check the expected payout shown.
4. Select “List Tickets”, and add a default payment method if you have none.
5. Wait for the sale email. Payment usually follows 5-8 business days after the event, occasionally sooner.

You can change the price or quantity, or delete the listing, at any point before it sells.