Extortionate resale of concert, play and festival tickets is a relatively minor problem. This is the result of a study commissioned by the Cabinet on behalf of the House of Representatives.
Only 1 percent of all tickets are resold at a higher price. Just over 8 percent of tickets sold are resold. A small portion of this, 12.4 percent, goes to the next buyer at a higher or inflated price.
Researchers spoke to ticket providers such as Eventim, House of Sports, KNVB, Marktplaats, Mojo Concerts, Music Managers Forum NL, NOC*NSF and Ticketswap. But the manager of, for example, Di-Rect and Wodan Boys, the consumer association and the consumer and market supervisory authority were also consulted.
No resale ban
It also examined what other European countries were doing to prevent price gouging. There is a resale ban only in Spain and Bulgaria.
The Dutch parties surveyed have nothing to do with this. The cabinet does not see a ban as an option because people who cannot come to the concert or match at the last minute will no longer be able to get rid of their tickets.
Half of the countries surveyed (Belgium, the UK, France and Denmark) have resale rules such as price caps or profit bans.
Dutch ticket sellers and consumer organizations are interested in this. They prefer a so-called closed system legal regulation that determines who can sell and resell tickets. They think a maximum price increase of 20 percent is appropriate for resale.
Search online
More and more providers in the ticket sales market are already establishing such a closed system online and using increasingly innovative technologies. The important thing to keep in mind is that in most cases consumers search for tickets online. At the moment you can sometimes come across obscure providers who charge excessive prices.
However, due to the relatively minor nature of the issue and the resignation of the cabinet, Minister of State for Culture Uslu is not making any decisions at the moment, no matter how frustrating it is for a small group of consumers. The Secretary of State says little is known about the effectiveness of national legislation. A European solution for international ticket sales might also be better.
The next cabinet will decide this.
Source: NOS
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
