Ticket re-seller, Viagogo, has been found guilty of misleading consumers, by creating a false sense of urgency.

Google blocks Viagogo after ads breach amid ongoing controversy

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Google has suspended ticket-reseller Viagogo from buying higher placement in search results after it was found to have breached its advertising conditions.

The Swiss ticket reselling business has been at the centre of accusations and controversy for years surrounding claims it misled customers across the globe by selling fake or inflated tickets and creating a false sense of urgency.

In 2017 the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission launched legal proceedings against Viagogo after it received more than 3000 complaints from customers.

On April 18 this year the Federal Court found Viagogo guilty of making false or misleading representations the tickets were scarce and of posing as an official ticket outlet.

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The Court also ruled Viagogo failed to disclose its true prices, with customers checking out to find they had been charged high hidden fees.

Google’s suspension has dealt the ticket reseller’s ability to do business a significant blow.

However, the multinational technology heavyweight explained its move as important for user confidence.

“When people use our platform for help in purchasing tickets, we want to make sure that they have an experience they can trust,” the Google spokeserson said.

“This is why we have strict policies and take necessary action when we find an advertiser in breach.”

A Viagogo representative, however, said the reseller was “extremely surprised to learn of Google’s concerns today”.

“We are confident that there has been no breach of Google’s policies and look forward to working with them to resolve this as quickly as possible,” he said.