Thousands of ticket buyers are set to receive refunds after a major ticket resale platform was penalized for failing to clearly display mandatory fees before checkout.
More than 50,000 customers will be refunded after an investigation found that extra charges, including service and delivery fees, were only revealed at the final stage of purchasing tickets. On average, affected customers are expected to receive around £10 per transaction.
The issue affected people buying tickets for concerts and sporting events between April and December last year. Regulators said customers were drawn in by lower advertised prices, only to discover unavoidable additional costs when completing their purchases.
The company explained that the problem resulted from a platform error that caused some fees to appear later in the checkout process. It stated that the issue was quickly identified and corrected, and that all affected customers would automatically receive refunds.
Regulators described the practice as unfair and illegal, stressing that businesses must be transparent about pricing from the start. They noted that many fans save up for live events and should not be surprised by extra costs at the final payment stage.
The company admitted it had breached consumer protection rules and received a reduced financial penalty after cooperating with the investigation and taking steps to address the problem.The case forms part of a wider crackdown on online pricing practices, including so-called “drip pricing,” where additional charges are added late in the buying process, making products appear cheaper than they actually are.
Authorities have recently expanded their powers, allowing them to enforce consumer laws more directly, order refunds, and impose significant financial penalties on businesses that fail to comply.Consumer advocates welcomed the action, saying it sends a strong message that hidden fees will not be tolerated and that companies must be upfront about the true cost of their products and services.
