Ticketmaster has reportedly begun canceling tickets for Oasis' upcoming tour, targeting bot purchases but allegedly affecting legitimate ticket holders in the process.

The ticket vendor announced the cancellation of approximately 50,000 tickets in October 2024, initially focusing on passes resold through unauthorized platforms. The company has now expanded its efforts to combat bot-purchased tickets, regardless of resale status.

Affected customers began receiving refund notifications via email last Friday. Ticketmaster UK stated, "Any tickets identified as purchased by bots will be refunded, as this violates the tour's terms and conditions. Barcodes on these refunded tickets will be void."

While Ticketmaster's "Expert Abuse and Fraud teams" claim to have reviewed all sales to identify bot activity, they haven't disclosed their detection methods to prevent bot operators from gaining insights into the process.

Several fans have reported having their legitimate tickets canceled despite following proper purchase procedures. One affected customer wrote on X, "I didn't do anything other than buy my tickets for me & my friend during presale."

Ticketmaster has provided a resolution process for wrongly affected customers:

• Refunded customers can appeal through a provided form
• Canceled tickets will be resold at face value
• Investigation results will be shared with law enforcement when appropriate

The situation follows earlier controversies surrounding the tour, including:

• Extremely high ticket prices
• A CMA investigation into Ticketmaster
• A proposed UK government cap on ticket resale prices

Photo Credit: Simon Everett

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