Adviser's answers

On line tickets sale: how much they cost!

Mr. Rossi wanted to attend a musical in Holland, so he did an online research in order to buy the tickets. Finally, he decided to make his order on a Holland website, due to the reasonable tickets price (100€ including VAT and shipping costs). Therefore, he filled in a form with his personal data, paid with his credit card and, finally, stated to have both read and accepted website terms and conditions.

A week after, Mr. Rossi was delivered his tickets as established, but surprisingly he discovered that the actual tickets price, written on each ticket, was different from the one he had paid: 70 €.

 Mr. Rossi immediately contacted the seller, in order to have further information and to be reimbursed of the gap paid. However, seller answer was as simple as annoying: in general terms and conditions is specified that “the online price might be different from the price written on the tickets”.

Consequently, Mr. Rossi contacted the European Consumer Centre for being assisted. How consumers can defend themselves from these practices, considering that, apart from contract terms, there’s no way to know and compare the two prices in time? Can this practice be considered as an unfair commercial practice?

Solution of the case

In Holland, these types of practices are widely spread because they are considered legal. Therefore, the only think that consumers can do is to read carefully general terms and conditions, which must be available on trader’s website.

Please remember that, by subscripting the contract, you accept trader’s conditions, so you cannot go behind.

For further information or to ask for ECC-Net assistance in order to solve your dispute:
ECC-Net Italia
info@ecc-netitalia.it
Tel 0644238090