Booking charges (1 Viewer)

[F. Fred Palakon]

Advertised price of event tickets to include all fees
Paul Cullen, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

Event promoters will have to include booking fees and other charges in their advertised ticket prices under new regulations due later this year.

The measure, designed to ensure consumers know the overall price of an event and do not have to pay "hidden" charges, and which is expected to be introduced following a period of consultation, is to be announced today by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin.

The move comes amid growing consumer complaints over the price of event tickets. (Offending sentence removed!)

The regulations will also be extended to cover sporting events for the first time, because increasingly these tickets are being sold over the internet and are subject to various charges.

However, plans by Mr Martin to take similar action on airline prices have been put on hold, because the matter is being advanced at EU level. Earlier this month, the European Parliament adopted a new rule to force airlines to advertise tickets at full price.

Final approval is expected to come from EU transport ministers early next year. Low-cost carriers such as Ryanair are likely to be among the most affected by any move towards inclusive pricing.

Mr Martin said a review of existing rules, which require advertisements to list additional charges separately, was timely. "With online booking now the norm for many of our major music and sporting events, it is important that people know exactly how much they are paying, and what they are paying for."

"There is an argument for the price of a ticket, booking fees and other charges to be included in one overall price. This would outlaw the sudden addition of other 'extra fees' for fans at the time of booking.

"I believe it is important that fans should be absolutely clear what they are paying for at the time of booking tickets for any event."

Ticketmaster, the State's largest ticket sales agency, said it would be happy to go into a consultation with the Minister on the issue.

Any move towards inclusive pricing would reverse changes made a decade ago, when legislation was first passed requiring promoters to list booking and other charges separately.

The department, which has published a consultation document on its website www.entemp.ie, has asked for submissions by August 10th.

Hooray!