The OCU denounces the collection of management expenses in the tickets issued by the official websites

The Consumer Organization (OCU) has denounced the collection of management expenses in the sale of online tickets issued by the official websites of the event. The entity warns that the weight of managing the purchase of an online ticket falls on the user himself, who is the one who types or selects the date, type and number of tickets, as well as the payment method.

A study on the sale of online tickets in 50 official web pages of cinemas, theatres, museums, concerts, festivals, exhibitions, shows and football clubs carried out by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) reveals that, except in the case of museums, the collection of management expenses is common, “sometimes hidden under the concept of fees”.

The organization considers that the collection of management expenses “is not justified”, since it is the user himself, not the seller, who assumes the weight of managing the purchase of a ticket online. “It is he who types or selects the date, type and number of tickets, as well as the payment method, for which he must enter his personal data.

In fact, as these are official web pages, the purchase is made directly with the company that organizes the event, not through an intermediary company.. What's more, the online purchase option frees up work time at the physical ticket office, while reducing the wait at the ticket office for other users,” argues the OCU.

In his opinion, only the additional services to the purchase of the ticket itself could justify a surcharge, considers OCU. “For example, a personalized notice in case of cancellation of the event associated with the subsequent management of the possible refund, or the shipment of the tickets to the same address of the buyer. Services that should in any case be optional, not mandatory”, explained OCU.

In addition, the organization denounces that the collection of management expenses is usually hidden until the moment the user is going to make the payment, unexpectedly increasing the advertised price, which the study figures at an average of 3 euros per ticket, which which represents 7% of the final price.

Concerts and festivals: 5.4 euros more on average

According to OCU, the highest extra costs occur at concerts and music festivals, where it adds up to 5.4 euros on average, 10% of the final price. “But it is that these surcharges are applied for each individual ticket that is finally purchased, not for the purchase operation, which is unique, thus multiplying its cost based on the number of tickets that are finally purchased,” they argue.

OCU regrets that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs does not consider them abusive, but considers that a court could consider them in this way, “at least when they are official websites, for which reason it recommends those affected to claim.”

Resale web pages can apply management fees, since they act as intermediaries, but they should be included from the beginning and applied per management, not per entry. In his case, the greatest abuse comes from the excessive online surcharge of said expenses, for which reason OCU insists on the Ministry of Consumption to promote a regulation that limits its surcharge to 20%, as stated in the regulations for the resale of tickets in the ticket office.