Everton's Firm Stance On Ticket Touts

Everton Football Club has been working with Merseyside Police to take action against ticket touts operating online and in-person for sales of home and away tickets. 

During the 2023/24 season, the Club received an increased number of complaints from victims of ticket touting after purchasing from unauthorised sellers. 

With cases pending against alleged touts, one tout has already been convicted following an investigation that showed he had touted 468 tickets for the first 13 matches of the 2023/24 season. The person in question has been fined and is now banned from entering any football ground in the UK, including Goodison Park, for three years as part of a banning order.

Breaching the imposed court order can lead to serious sanctions, including a six-month prison sentence and further heavy fines.    

Ahead of the final season at Goodison Park, Everton will be employing a series of measures, both ahead of fixtures and on matchday, to protect supporters from touting. 

This includes monitoring illegal websites, providing regular updates as part of pre-match communications, maintaining the Club’s official online ticket exchange platforms, coordinating meetings between Merseyside Police representatives and fan groups and providing signage around Goodison Park; all with the aim of informing fans and visitors of the risks of purchasing tickets from unofficial sources.  

The Club operates an official resale platform which enables Season Ticket Members who cannot attend a Goodison Park fixture the opportunity to lawfully sell their ticket in a safe, secure and reliable online environment to Official Everton Members.  

Season Ticket Members also have the functionality on their ticketing account to digitally transfer their ticket with a family member or friend within their network should they not be able to attend a home game. 

Dave Lewis, Everton’s Head of Security and Stadium Safety Officer, said: “We are committed to working alongside Merseyside Police and the authorities to eradicate ticket touting from our football club. 

"We will not tolerate any form of touting and will continue to identify offenders and take the appropriate legal action through the courts. 

“Touting not only impacts the genuine supporters, especially if the tickets they purchase or receive are counterfeit, but it could also be feeding into further criminal activity and therefore have a significant number of other victims. 

“This season marks our last season at Goodison Park and the demand for tickets will be at a record high, so I would urge all supporters or visitors to only purchase or accept tickets from official sources.” 

If you have suffered a negative experience, been the victim of touting, or have information on unauthorised ticketing activities, please contact us in confidence by emailing servicedesk@evertonfc.com. 

In the meantime, the below FAQs will offer guidance on spotting the warning signs and who the official sellers of Everton tickets are.     

What is a ticket tout? 

A “ticket tout” sells tickets without authorisation, often at vastly inflated prices. 

Supporters should only purchase tickets from official sellers. Any tickets purchased from an unauthorised / unofficial source - whether that be online or in-person - will be invalid and put you at risk of not gaining entry into the stadium, as well as losing the money you paid. 

‘Away’ supporters who purchase tickets in ‘home’  areas will be removed from the stadium. 

We have compiled a list of unauthorised ticket websites here to help fans remain safe when buying.

Can I sell my ticket independently for face value to a friend or family member, or is that also classes as touting? 

It is an offence under Section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 for any unauthorised person to resell tickets. 

What are the warning signs? 

Tickets should only be purchased from official sources, and all sources related to selling tickets on behalf of Everton should make it clear that they are official. The below are some of the warning signs to look out for. 

• Heavily inflated match ticket prices 

• Match tickets on sale many months before the date of match, unless when purchased as a package via our partners Sportsbreaks.com

• Exact location of the seats are not confirmed (no stand, no row, or seat number) 

• Large volumes of tickets on offer for the most-high profile matches 

• Being required to collect the tickets from a hotel, a pub or an alternative location 

• Being required to return the tickets/Season Tickets after the match 

• No statement on the website confirming the seller is affiliated to the Club or that they are an official source 

• Tickets sent via PDF or JPEG from an email address that does not match any affiliated source 

• Tickets being forwarded to you, as opposed to being sent directly 

• Tickets listed in the name of a third party 

• Visible amendments to the ticket 

• No name or price on the ticket 

• Someone posing to have a ticket on social media and asking you to deposit money into a bank account 

  What have supporters purchasing from touts experienced? 

• The tickets looked fake and they could not gain entry into the stadium 

• The tickets looked real but the entry codes did not work and they could not gain entry into the stadium 

• They lost their money 

• The person they were dealing with on social media disappeared without providing them with a ticket, or has taken the money 

• They overpaid significantly for their tickets 

• No match tickets arrived immediately after purchasing 

• Bank details and other personal information were compromised 

• The tickets received were not for the fixture or the location they were purchased for 

• The tickets had been sold and forwarded on multiple times 

• The tickets had been stolen from someone else 

• By purchasing the tickets they became part of a criminal investigation 

• Screenshot of ticket sent to purchaser and not the actual ticket. These are not accepted and entry was denied 

• Family Enclosure ticket sold to a family of four as a 'family' ticket (at the price for four tickets) but was only the seat details. Purchaser had to buy an additional three tickets for the game 

• Supporter paid for a hospitality ticket, but when received the ticket was for General Admission  

If a ticket is packaged with travel and accommodation, or is referenced as a ‘hospitality’ ticket, it does not mean that the seller is genuine or authorised to sell such packages. 

Who are the official sellers of Everton tickets? 

General admission tickets can only be purchased via evertonfc.com and are sold to Official Members first and then released on general sale, should any remain.  

Everton operates a resale platform, allowing Season Ticket members to sell their tickets if they can no longer attend a fixture.  

Those tickets are then sold through the platform to  Official Members. Tickets will never be priced above the match ticket price for that game. 

Season Ticket members who can no longer attend a game also have the functionality, through their ticketing account, to digitally send a match ticket to a family member or friend in their network.   

Hospitality packages can only be purchased through Everton’s Hospitality team via telephone on 0151 808 1500.  

Please note that by purchasing a ticket from one of our authorised sellers you are entering into a contract with a third-party company. Please check their refund/exchange policy and contact them directly if you have any queries regarding your purchase. 

All tickets remain the property of Everton Football Club at all times and the use of such tickets is bound by Everton’s ticketing terms and conditions – with the exception of refunds or exchanges as stated above. 

Will I be able to access the stadium if I purchase a ticket from a tout?   

Everton can only verify the authenticity of tickets purchased from authorised sources. Individuals found in possession of unlawfully purchased tickets will be refused entry to the stadium or removed from it. If a ticket from an unauthorised reseller has already been purchased, please contact servicedesk@evertonfc.com 

What is the best way of reporting ticket touting? 

If you have been the victim of touting, or have information on unauthorised ticketing activities, please contact us in confidence servicedesk@evertonfc.com and a member of our team will be in touch.