Consumer protection groups are demanding clearer regulations for the resale market for concert and sporting event tickets. Tatjana Halm, Head of Legal and Digital Affairs at the Verbraucherzentrale Bayern (Consumer Advice Center Bavaria), warned about the risks faced by ticket buyers. She stated on Thursday that the commercial resale of tickets should not be a business model that operates at the expense of consumers. According to her, “Anyone who purchases a ticket on the secondary market must be able to trace what the original price was, who it came from, and whether it is actually valid”.
Advocates for consumer protection are calling for greater transparency from online marketplaces, such as mandatory disclosure of the original price and any mark-ups. Furthermore, they insist on clear information requirements regarding the identity of the sellers, an efficient reporting and remediation process for illegal listings, and effective safeguards against exorbitant price increases.
Jutta Gurkmann, a department head for consumer policy at the Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (German Consumer Union Federation), urged that the federal government must promptly implement the consumer-friendlier regulations agreed upon in the coalition agreement. She added that the government must establish clear and reliable frameworks to prevent ticket chaos from disrupting the FIFA World Cup and the festival season.
