Two ticketing websites still in breach of EU law

Two websites are still selling online tickets for events in Malta in defiance of EU rules, more than a year after the European Commission and the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority intervened to stop them.

The Commission and the autho­rity had found irregularities in five websites selling online tickets for concerts, sports events and other entertainment activities in Malta, but three have now complied with the strict EU consumer rules.

According to the latest details emerging from the Ticketing Sweep organised by the Commission, two websites – one local and the other based in another member state – are still operating against EU rules.

No details were given by the authority on these two irregular websites, however, it said action was being taken against the local trader “who is still not fully complaint”, while in the other case, Malta was awaiting feedback from the competent authority abroad.

The EU-wide exercise, coordinated with national consumer authorities last year, found that only 40 per cent of more than 400 checked websites complied with the law.

Updating the press on the progress made, an EU official from the Commission’s Consumers Directorate said the number of compliant online ticketing websites has now increased to 88 per cent.

“The problems identified included incomplete or misleading information about the price of tickets, unfair terms and conditions, and incomplete or misleading information about the trader. Many sites have been corrected, in many vases voluntarily, but in some cases after penalties were imposed,” she said.

While announcing that another sweep was going on, the Commission said national authorities would continue to work on the outstanding online ticketing cases.