Everton have been urged by the Everton Supporters Trust (EST) to bring an end to their partnership with ticketing website StubHub amid claims fans are being exploited.
Everton use StubHub as a secondary ticketing partner, enabling their supporters to sell on their tickets to fellow fans if they are unable to attend matches.
However, the EST has said in an open letter that Everton's association with the website is causing fans to pay over the odds for tickets, while undermining the club's ticketing policy that has been praised for seeing season ticket prices frozen and in some cases reduced for the 2017‑18 campaign.
Ticket prices on StubHub are set at the seller's discretion, rather than the club's, with a limit of £250 for games at Goodison Park.
"This relationship has led to a situation where on one hand the club boasts of its progressive ticket pricing policy and on the other uses its website and social media presence to encourage fans to use a website in which tickets are advertised at many times more than the face value," the letter reads, as reported by The Guardian.
"For example: a ticket with a face value of £40 for Everton's last home game against Hull City was advertised on StubHub for £108. On April 15, Everton play Burnley, a fixture that is already sold out. However the club is directing Evertonians to StubHub where tickets with a face value of £45 are being advertised for £125 rising to £149 once 'service fees' are factored in.
"Earlier in the season, Everton Supporters Trust made Everton FC aware of various junior tickets for the home matches against Manchester United and Liverpool being listed for as high as £90.
"To make matters worse the club actively encourages season ticket holders to advertise their tickets via StubHub and in doing so provides no guidance on what a season ticket holder should charge for their ticket.
"Everton Supporters Trust 1878 believes this situation leaves Everton FC open to the accusation it is complicit in the exploitation of its supporters and that the partnership with StubHub is incompatible with the club's otherwise progressive ticket pricing policy."
Everton's contract with StubHub is up for renewal this summer and the EST claims the club should be looking at fairer options for next season.
"[The EST] calls on Everton to bring to an end its partnership with StubHub and replace it with an in-house service, in much the same way Chelsea FC did after their deal with Viagogo came to an end, or enter into a deal with an ethical secondary sales platform that does not allow tickets to be sold for more than their face value, such as Twickets," the letter adds.
"We also call on Evertonians who might consider using StubHub for whatever time remains of the club's partnership with the company to respect their fellow Evertonians and only sell their tickets for the face value."
Everton have said that using StubHub helps maintain security inside Goodison Park as they are given fans' details, while tickets can also be cheaper for supporters on the website.