Consumer Authority to monitor online ticket shops

The Consumer Authority intends to monitor the websites of companies that resell entry tickets for concerts and events. The monitoring will focus upon whether consumers have been provided with correct and complete information. The Consumer Authority is taking this action after receiving regular complaints from consumers via ConsuWijzer, the information desk, about problems with tickets that they have bought via these websites.

It is often unclear to consumers that the entry tickets are being sold on, and they often pay a higher price than the one originally stated on the ticket. Sometimes, the tickets turn out not to be valid or the consumer loses his/her money if the concert does not go ahead. Marije Hulshof, Director of the Consumer Authority, explains: "When making purchases via the internet, it is important that consumers know what they are buying and receive what they expect to receive. The provider must provide clear information on matters such as the nature, content, price and conditions that apply to the product. This monitoring will enable us to draw companies' attention to the legal requirements."

The first stage of this campaign began recently when the Consumer Authority sent a letter to the companies involved, explaining the statutory obligations with which the websites have to comply. The Consumer Authority is able to impose fines up to a maximum of EUR 450,000 per infringement upon companies that do not comply with the regulations. Once this campaign has ended, which is expected to be the case sometime in 2010, the Consumer Authority will publish its results.