Dutch consumer org contests TM booking fees

Dutch consumer protection organisation Consumentenbond has criticised ticketing giant Ticketmaster for not refunding customers’ booking fees in the case of cancelled or postponed events.

The consumers’ association states there is “no good legal reason” not to reimburse the handling fee along with the cost of the ticket for axed events.

According to the Consumentenbond, this opinion is shared by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM).

In 2017, the ACM ordered all ticket agencies operating in the country to include all additional or “unavoidable” fees, such as booking or processing fees, in the “base price” of a ticket.

The consumers’ association states there is “no good legal reason” not to reimburse the handling fee along with the cost of the ticket for axed events

The consumers’ organisation is hoping to arrange a meeting with Ticketmaster to discuss the matter further and “find a solution”. IQ has commented Ticketmaster for comment.

Ticketmaster is the leading ticketing service in Holland followed by Eventim Netherlands, which gained ground on its competitor last year, according to the International Ticketing Yearbook 2018.

The price of concert tickets in the Netherlands increased on average by 3% this year, as the country’s reduced VAT rate – which includes “admission to cultural events” – rose from six to nine percent.

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