Kijiji Canada is removing the option to sell event tickets on its platform because of challenges it has encountered in the shift to digital from physical tickets.
The company, owned by eBay Inc., says it has cut the option to sell tickets as of Monday, while listings already posted will stay up until they expire. All postings will have expired in 60 days.
Ebay, however, will still have a significant stake in the ticket-resale market as the owner of ticket site StubHub.
Kijiji says it made the move as digital tickets have created issues around authenticity, especially as they can be bought and sold directly online.
“The shift from physical tickets to digital over the years has made it hard, it’s posed some challenges for Kijiji,” said general manager Matthew McKenzie.
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“There’s always risks related to purchasing tickets from private sellers. And there’s also just an emotional piece too. If you’re looking to go to a concert and maybe time is of the essence and you make that decision that you might not typically have made.”
The company had previously restricted resales of Toronto Raptors tickets for the NBA Championships as seat prices soared into the tens of thousands of dollars.
McKenzie says the company will prevent event ticket listings elsewhere on the site through a combination of automated monitoring, customer support teams, and users being able to flag posts.
McKenzie says users will still be able to sell community event tickets through the community category.
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