Google are making a stand against ticket touting with the suspension of Viagogo as an advertising partner.

Ticket touting has become a serious problem with ticketing companies online. Viagogo are often at the centre of that controversy and with the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) going after them again, Google have dropped their advertising slots with the ticket sellers..

On Wednesday Google said in a statement: “When people use our platform for help in purchasing tickets, we want to make sure that they have an experience they can trust. This is why we have strict policies and take necessary action when we find an advertiser in breach.”

Viagogo have been accused of misleading their users with hidden fees and not providing information about ticket sellers, particularly in the case of ticket touts. Last November the CMA were victorious in court against Viagogo, forcing them to reveal the identities of ticket sellers to enforce better rules against ticket touting.

The CMA are now taking the ticketing website to action again saying that they haven’t done enough to change their business practices despite warnings and court actions in recent years. Viagogo say they are “working with the CMA” to improve their services and make them more transparent.

In response to Google ending Viagogo’s adverts on their platforms, the ticket company responded saying: “We were 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.”

The company have a long line of criticism that isn’t being properly resolved despite legal action enforced against them. Last year one unlucky mother spent £1,421 unknowingly on tickets advertised for £263 due to the company’s hidden costs and misleading business. This resulted in a UK minister warning against using Viagogo.

When will they learn?