Customers are urged to be vigilant when shopping online, as scammers are using Covid-19 as a pretext to deceive them. - NRW pushes for equitable ticket sales and enhanced online security.
The northern German state of North Rhine-Westphalia is taking steps to shield consumers when buying event tickets. This intent is made clear in a draft plan presented by Consumer Protection Minister Silke Gorißen (CDU), planned for the yearly conference of consumer protection ministers from the national and state governments in Regensburg on Thursday and Friday, as acquired by the German Press Agency.
In the draft plan, consumers would be required to receive more information upfront about the tickets, including the ticket provider's quantity, the various seating arrangements with corresponding prices, and the seating categories provided by each provider. At present, the ticket prices are usually shown only throughout the buying process.
Examining customer's right to return due to late disclosure
Another aspect is to investigate whether consumers have the right to retract a purchase when buying tickets online, provided that critical information, particularly the seating and pricing, enters within 48 hours before the prospective purchase.
"The process of buying tickets is becoming more complex and ambiguous and is frequently only possible within very tight timeframes," stated Gorißen. "I anticipate the suppliers to act more in the interest of consumers. The strong market position of the ticket portals should not lead to the implementation of ambiguous and opaque sales tactics."
Addressing digital risk: European level
In addition, Gorißen desires to heighten safety for consumers when employing digital products. Her plan for this can be observed in a proposal from NRW. Providers of email, chat, or telecommunications services would then be obliged to adopt more security measures on the European level. This would, for instance, permit better detection and prevention of spyware for the interception of personal information.
Promoting digital participation: Information hotline
Furthermore, NRW seeks to boost digital participation - for instance, by offering more knowledge dissemination to citizens via an information hotline. "Responsibility for IT security should not depend solely on the digital knowledge of users. The protection from cyberattacks needs to become a societal duty," Gorißen explained.
