The Oasis case regarding uncontrolled concert ticket prices due to dynamic pricing set off alarm bells even in Brussels. The commotion reached such a level that the European deputy of the Democratic Party (PD) Pierfrancesco Maran presented an appeal to the European Commission to investigate the pricing practice and evaluate possible regulatory interventions: “With my colleague Brando Benifei we addressed a petition to the European Commission. We are not only referring to the specific case of Oasis, but we want to know if the European Union also intends to initiate an investigation into these practices, as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia are already doing,” Maran explained during an event organized in the European Parliament, attended by representatives of several European parties, local politicians and personalities from the world of music.
It all started when the long-awaited reunion of the British band, announced in September after years of speculation, became a nightmare for many fans eager to buy tickets for the new tour. Many of them came across prices that had risen from 80 to more than 400 euros without prior notice. A striking example of dynamic pricing, an increasingly common practice in the field of live events that allows sellers to modify costs in real time based on demand, making artists and retailers profits, but at the same time They often harm consumers.
The case certainly set the tone, but it is not the first or the last time this has happened. The issue not only affects Europe, cases were recently reported in Australia, where the band Green Day sold tickets in a similar way to Oasis. “This is a global phenomenon and extends across several sectors,” says Maran. However, “unlike other sectors such as transportation or hospitality, where prices sometimes go up and sometimes go down, in the case of entertainment events there is only one direction: up.” According to Maran, there is a clear lack of transparency: “In the case of Oasis, the dynamics were dark for consumers, but clear for the protagonists of the event”.
A study by the European Commission revealed that 60% of European citizens are in favor of greater restrictions on resale, while 53% demand more information about tickets. European consumers are estimated to lose €8 billion a year due to unfair online trading practices.which allegedly includes the secondary resale of tickets. Are new rules needed at European level? Maran argues that yes, but it is not about outright prohibiting the dynamic rate, but about finding the right balance to regulate it. “Regulation is necessary, and the solution is not a total ban. We have to find the right rules, but regulatory intervention is essential,” the MEP clarifies.
Another critical aspect highlighted by Maran is the concentration of the market in the hands of a few large players. “A few companies control the sector in Europe, the US and Australia, creating a kind of monopoly on ticket sales. We have to understand what the exact breakdown of the market is, if there is room for other operators or if the system is blocked, preventing the entry of new actors. That is why prices continue to rise.
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A fair dynamic rate?
Support for this initiative does not only come from the left. According to Regina Doherty, Irish MP for the European People’s Party, dynamic tariffs could only have positive effects if they are applied correctly: “I have nothing against this resource, as long as consumers can benefit from it. If prices rise when an event is popular, they must also go down when it is not. And that never happens. Laura Walters, of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, added: “We think that transparency is enough to solve all problems, but today there is a great information asymmetry, when we download an application or accept the conditions of a service, do we? “Who actually reads the 30 pages of conditions? We just click ‘OK’ So simple transparency may not be enough.”
Claudio Trotta, founder of Barley Arts, the historic concert promotion agency, also participated in the event organized in Brussels by the PD deputy, contributing his testimony from the world of music. “The dynamic rate is the enemy of live music. There is no point of comparison with air or rail transport, where the user can choose between different companies, dates and times. In the case of a concert, the interest is in that show specific on that specific day. Dynamic pricing in leisure is a weapon to manipulate the market, not to promote competition. It is a perverse speculation that impoverishes the public, whoever spends a fortune on a ticket will no longer have money to spend. “other concerts, theater shows, books, restaurants. What was once a symbol of sharing and accessibility is now the subject of a spiral of endless speculation.”
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