Tickets for the Pokémon GO Safari Zone Liverpool event went on sale on Feb. 14. However, Pokémon GO fans quickly discovered an issue with the ticket-buying process. The event faces backlash after claims of false advertising from ticket buyers.
Once players began purchasing the tickets, the initial price was listed at £12 for a standard ticket. An early access ticket was listed at £18. When Pokémon GO fans reached the checkout, they encountered additional fees. In addition to the original price, £3 was charged for online ticket fees as well as an additional £3 to £4.20 in taxes. This excludes the City Explorer Pass, which increases the taxes to an even higher number. In the U.K., it is illegal to charge extra fees and taxes without declaring them, and Niantic hid them. This led to fans contacting the U.K. Advertising Standards Authority, who investigated the issue.
An ASA spokesperson gave a statement to Eurogamer, stating they had received over 180 complaints about the advertising of Safari Zone tickets. They further said, “We consider the omission of taxes and service charges in the ad is a clear problem under our rules. We are in the process of contacting the advertiser so that we can instruct them to amend their misleading advertising.”
Niantic’s response
Niantic posted an apology via their Niantic Support account on Twitter. They addressed the mistake of the previous Safari Zone Liverpool pricing not including the service and taxation fees. Now, an official Pokémon GO blog post has been published with updated information on ticket prices and the event itself. General admission tickets are £14.40, with early access tickets being priced at £21.60. A service fee will be added to each order of £3.60, and all prices include VAT. Moreover, the City Explorer Pass will be £9.60, including VAT.
Previous advertising for Pokémon GO Safari Zone Liverpool tickets didn’t include the service fee and VAT costs. We’re updating all ticket listings today. We apologize for the error. https://t.co/XZNg4K5PjA
— Niantic Support (@NianticHelp) February 14, 2020
The Safari Zone event taking place in Liverpool will begin on April 17 and run until April 19. At the event, trainers will have the opportunity to compete with other fellow trainers and catch rare Pokémon.
To keep up with further Pokémon coverage, stay tuned with Daily Esports.
Published: Feb 15, 2020 03:31 pm