Fans of sports and music events in Germany have long struggled with sky-high ticket prices, especially on the secondary market. After Taylor Swift’s concert at Gelsenkirchen’s “Arena AufSchalke,” where standing tickets sold for as much as 240 euros, both the Union and SPD parties vowed to take action. The future coalition government has laid out a plan to stop ticket price gouging and fraud. They aim to make events more affordable for fans.
What’s Behind the Ticket Price Surge?
Inflated prices, especially on the secondary market, have been a common complaint. Some tickets are resold by individuals who can no longer attend due to illness or other reasons. However, many tickets are resold by commercial entities. These businesses buy tickets in bulk and sell them at much higher prices. Fans often end up paying multiple times the original price.
Johannes Fechner, a key SPD figure, has strongly criticized the system. “Fans should no longer be ripped off,” he said. Fechner pointed out how tickets for popular events sell out fast, only to show up online at inflated prices. This has led to frustration among fans, and both SPD and Union agreed during coalition talks to tackle the issue head-on.
The Secondary Market and Ticket Fraud
Johannes Everke, executive director of the BDKV (German Association of Event Organizers), reports that the secondary ticket market generates about twelve billion euros annually worldwide. However, it also fosters fraudulent activities. Some individuals mark up ticket prices by as much as 1600%. Many fans fall victim to this scam, buying tickets that are either counterfeit or resold multiple times.
Everke adds that around 30% of fans have been affected by such fraud. Fans often lose money and trust in the ticket system. Everke welcomes the coalition’s efforts to address this issue.
Coalition Plans to Combat Ticket Price Gouging
In response to fan complaints, the CDU/CSU and SPD coalition has proposed several measures. These include price caps, mandatory transparency on prices and sellers, and a reporting system to flag suspicious ticket sales.
Günther Krings, a CDU representative, highlighted the problem with anonymous sellers who resell tickets at extreme prices. He supports the coalition’s efforts to protect fans and ensure that tickets are affordable.
Dynamic Pricing: A New Challenge
While the coalition’s measures aim to curb secondary market abuses, dynamic pricing remains a contentious issue. Event organizers use dynamic pricing to adjust ticket prices based on demand. This means tickets for popular events can become very expensive.
Fechner has suggested that cities could restrict events with dynamic pricing in publicly owned venues. However, this solution could face practical challenges, as organizers may choose to host their events in private venues.
Consumer Protection Concerns
The VZBV (Federation of German Consumer Organizations) supports the government’s plan to regulate secondary ticket sales but also raises concerns. Felix Methmann, the head of the VZBV’s legal and commerce department, pointed out that ticket reselling often leads to consumer complaints. He believes that private ticket resale should remain allowed, but commercial resellers need stricter rules.
Krings acknowledged these concerns but said banning commercial reselling would be difficult due to international sellers. He assured that the coalition will carefully consider all options to protect consumers.
The coalition’s proposed measures are a step forward in protecting fans from ticket price gouging and fraud. As ticket prices continue to rise and secondary market abuses persist, these changes could make events more affordable. Fans and consumer advocates will be closely watching how these measures unfold in the coming months.
