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(VIP-NEWS) — The Spanish consumer watchdog group, the Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU), has urged the country’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs to investigate ticketing companies for their online management fees.
The OCU has accused some ticketing platforms of adding “irregular” and “abusive” charges at the point of purchase without properly disclosing these fees during the buying process.
On its website, the OCU stated: “Recently, the General Directorate of Consumer Affairs reiterated its stance against the abusive application of management fees for online ticket purchases. An informative note from the General Secretariat of Consumer Affairs and Gambling aligns with the OCU’s position, which we view as promising news. We urge the Consumer Authorities to take measures to end this harmful practice that affects consumers and users.”
To assess the level of fees, the OCU purchased tickets online through 50 official websites for various events, including cinemas, theatres, museums, concerts, festivals, exhibitions, and football matches.
The group found that 20% of the websites did not charge management fees, while 11 of the 50 sites included the management fee in the ticket price. In 28 cases, management fees were charged separately, averaging €3 per ticket, roughly 7% of the final price, with some cases exceeding 10%. The highest management fees were found for concerts and music festivals, with extreme cases reaching up to 20%.
Addressing the Ministry of Consumer Affairs (Ministerio de Consumo), the OCU called for immediate action to stop the abuse of management fees in online ticket purchases. They requested that the fees’ application, amount (with proportional limits), and consumer information be regulated based on transparency. They also called for penalties for those who apply unjustified, disproportionate, or deceptive charges.
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