The U.K. regulator has announced that it is investigating concerns regarding the sale of Oasis concert tickets by Ticketmaster, including how so-called ‘dynamic pricing’ may have been used.
The sale over last weekend created fury with fans seeing the price of tickets they believed had been secured suddenly increase in price as demand for the tickets exploded
The CMA is scrutinising whether the sale of Oasis tickets by Ticketmaster may have breached consumer protection law.
part of its information gathering, the CMA is inviting fans to submit evidence of their experiences in relation to the purchase or attempted purchase of Oasis tickets. Fans are being asked to provide their evidence through CMA connect and, where possible, to include any screenshots they may have taken as they progressed through the purchasing process.
So-called ‘dynamic pricing’, where a business adjusts its prices according to changing market conditions including high demand, is becoming increasingly prevalent across a number of different markets and sectors. This is not the first time it has raised concerns among fans of live sporting and music events. While the practice is not automatically unlawful, it may breach consumer protection or competition law in certain circumstances. The CMA will investigate how it may have been used in this instance and the information buyers were given regarding the price they would pay as they went through the process of buying tickets and importantly, before they reached the check-out.
Consumer law is clear – ticket sales sites must be transparent in their dealings with consumers and give clear and accurate information about the price people have to pay. Failure to do so may breach the law.
