Australia to Ban Dynamic Pricing and Hidden Fees in Major Ticketing Industry Crackdown
The Australian government has announced plans to implement significant reforms in the ticketing industry, targeting dynamic pricing, hidden fees, and manipulative online practices ahead of the 2025 elections.
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Key Proposed Changes:
- Ban on Dynamic Pricing
- Prohibiting price changes during transaction processes
- Affecting live-event tickets where prices fluctuate based on demand
- Notable example: Recent Green Day concert price surge in Australia
- Elimination of Hidden Fees
- Targeting "drip pricing" practices
- Requiring transparency in fee disclosure
- Moving towards all-in pricing models
- Combat Manipulative Online Practices
- Addressing false urgency tactics
- Eliminating misleading scarcity claims
- Preventing hidden material information
- Regulating time-limited purchase warnings
Implementation Process: The Treasury Department will conduct consultations on the design before legislating these prohibitions on unfair trading practices.
Context: This initiative joins international efforts to regulate the ticketing industry, including:
- DOJ antitrust investigation into Live Nation and Ticketmaster in the US
- UK's new dynamic-pricing probe
- Recent Four Corners exposé on Live Nation in Australia
Important Note: While eliminating dynamic pricing may not directly address underlying demand issues, it aims to improve pricing transparency and consumer protection in the Australian market.
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