• Only buy from official authorised sellers
• Scalped or on-sold tickets may be invalid
• Refunds for cancellation go to original buyer

With the AFL Grand Final now confirmed to take place at Optus Stadium in Perth on 25 September 2021, Consumer Protection is reminding footy fans to only buy tickets from authorised sellers to avoid the disappointment of being turned away from the game.

Commissioner for Consumer Protection Gary Newcombe is urging consumers planning on buying tickets to only use the official AFL link at afl.com.au/tickets, which provides AFL authorised links for Grand Final ticket sales such as Ticketmaster or Ticketek.

Buying from the official authorised seller ensures you get in, pay the right price, avoid being scammed, and can get a new ticket or refund in the event of a date change or money back if the game is cancelled.

“Just because a particular reseller comes up as the top result in an online search for tickets does not mean that they are an authorised official seller,” Mr Newcombe said.

“Buying tickets from a third party reseller, especially if they are based overseas, means you risk being turned away at the venue and losing your money if the ticket is not valid.

“Plan ahead and set up your account with the authorised seller before the tickets go on sale so you don’t panic buy tickets outside official channels.

“Rushing in to get a ticket from an unauthorised seller may lead to disappointment on Grand Final day.”

Mr Newcombe said professional ticket scalpers buy tickets in bulk once they go on sale and then attempt to sell those tickets at a higher price.

Reselling tickets above face value is against the AFL's Terms and Conditions, which means those tickets can be cancelled without refund.

“Consumer Protection received 33 enquiries and 28 complaints about ticket sales in the 18-month period between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2021,” he said.

“The usual consumer rights apply when you buy tickets online, including that you shouldn’t be misled and that costs should not be hidden from you, plus the ticket should match the description given.

“But if the resellers are based overseas, it can make it hard to get a remedy if your consumer rights have been breached.”

He said the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has previously taken action against Switzerland-based ticket reseller Viagogo resulting in a $7million fine. The Court found Viagogo was guilty of misleading consumers by implying it was an official seller, charging extraordinarily high booking fees and falsely claiming tickets were scarce when there were plenty available elsewhere. Additionally New South Wales Fair Trading is currently investigating Viagogo.

Don’t buy a scalped ticket from an online resale business, or through private sale sites such as Gumtree of Facebook marketplace, because:

• The ticket could be invalidated if the purchase is in breach of AFL terms and conditions.
• It might be a rip-off – you could be paying over and above face value and regular price tickets may be available.
• You cannot get redress for date changes or cancellations – if the date is changed due to COVID restrictions for example, only the original purchaser can get the new date issued ticket or the refund.
• The ticket may not be legitimate – it might be a forgery and not even exist.

Information about buying AFL tickets can be found at afl.com.au/tickets and advice about buying tickets safely is available at www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au.

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Media Contact: Claudine Murphy, (08) 6552 9248 / mobile 0417 938 542

claudine.murphy@demirs.wa.gov.au