Dynamic pricing models must be banned - Dooley

Senator Timmy Dooley has said the use of dynamic pricing by primary ticket sellers must be banned.

Today, he and his party colleagues Niamh Smyth TD and Jim O'Callaghan TD are introducing the Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) (Amendment) Bill 2024.

The Bill would extend the Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Act 2021 so that it prohibits the sale of tickets or ticket packages for prices that have been adjusted by primary ticket sellers through the process of dynamic pricing.

Senator Dooley said: "This is a consumer issue. This is about protecting consumers from being ripped off by technological practices.

"People attending any event, not just concerts, should be confident that when they are waiting in an online queue to purchase a ticket they will pay the price that was initially advertised.

"Over the weekend, this was not the case for fans of Oasis. After waiting in an online queue fans were met by 'in demand' tickets that were for sale at over €400 each.

"We all recognise that online sales have revolutionised ticketing and nobody wants a return to the days of queues down the street and around the corner from a ticket office.

"However, the emerging practice of dynamic pricing must be nipped in the bud before it becomes common practice.

"How long will it be before dynamic pricing becomes commonplace, applying to tickets for everything from All-Ireland finals to smaller gigs?

"Just because dynamic pricing models can be used, does not mean they should.

"Fans deserve fairness and transparency, they should not be forced into being ripped off and that is why we are introducing this Bill."

Deputy Smyth said: "As Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, I do not think it is acceptable that ticket sellers can force fans to pay more for tickets than initially advertised.

"Dynamic pricing essentially means the price of tickets is being inflated to maximise the amount of money that primary ticket sellers can make.

"This practice must be prohibited and consumers must be protected."

The Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Act came into effect in 2021 and banned the reselling of tickets above face value.

Deputy O'Callaghan said: "The Oasis gigs showed fans do not know whether they will have to pay for tickets through dynamic pricing and how dynamic pricing models actually work.

"The 2021 Act protected fans from the experience of missing out on tickets and seeing those same tickets for sale on a secondary site for far more than they can afford or would be happy to pay.

"It now must be extended so we can protect fans from the experience of seeing 'in demand' tickets jumping significantly above the asking price that was initially advertised."

-ENDS-

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