The Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has reported to the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030 Alsa, Atrápalo, Avanza, Cinesa, Tickets Eventim and Ticketmaster for “abusive” management expenses in the online sale of tickets.
This was announced in a statement in which he regretted that, a year and a half after his first complaintcontinues to “detect” the “abusive” charging of management expenses in the online sale of tickets to shows, movies, football, as well as bus tickets and stressed that it is a charge that they already bill “nine out of ten” sales websites he has analyzed and that “makes the initial advertised price 11% more expensive on average.”
In this context, he criticized that the recent statement by the General Directorate of Consumer Affairs on the “abusive” application of these management expenses is still “has had no practical effects” in the online sales of the six denounced companies.
Specifically, he explained that the websites that charge the amount of the management fee “they do not indicate it in the first price offered to the user”. “In fact, the usual thing is to add it at the end of the process, at the time of payment,” he added.
Along with this, he warned of charging per entry instead of per operation carried out, which, he indicated, “multiplies its final cost”. “What’s more, its amount is not fixed, but usually varies depending on the price of the ticket or its characteristics,” he added.
Without any justification
Furthermore, it disfigured the “absence of justification for the charge”given that “the service included in the management expenses is not explained”, while emphasizing that only those that can be charged can be charged. “provide a benefit to the user, such as sending tickets home.”
For all these reasons, he urged the General Directorate of Consumer Affairs to, if it sees the commission of this type of “infringements”, sanction the companies reported with the legally established amounts, in addition to forcing them to stop carrying out these practices and the refund to consumers of the amounts “improperly paid” as management expenses.
“These are unfair practices against the consumer, but also against companies that respect the requirements indicated by Consumption based on current legislation,” resolved the association, which also urged the ministry headed by Pablo Bustinduy to “act with maximum speed to implement measures to eradicate these abuses.”
Finally, he judged “crucial” to establish “effective” mechanisms to “ensure” that consumer rights “are respected” and that “deceptive and abusive practices are avoided in online ticket sales.”
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