Tuesday, February 18, UFC-Que Choisir announced that it was filing a complaint against the online ticket resale site Viagogo to denounce " deceptive marketing practices ". An announcement that has aroused many fears among consumers who are increasingly fond of buying (and reselling) show tickets on the internet. Fears justified, because despite the simplicity of using sites like Le Bon Coin , ticket sales are regulated. Le Figaro enlightens you on your rights and identifies the risks to which you could be exposed by reselling your places online.
Read also: Telephone canvassing: associations launch a petition to ban this practice
You have the right to resell your ticket. However, three limits arise:
- First of all, the sale doesn't have to be “usual”. If this is the case, you will first need to ask the producer of the show for permission, otherwise you will be liable to a fine of up to 15,000 euros, in accordance with article 313-6-2 of the Criminal Code.
- Then, and within the framework of a subsidized spectacle, the sale price must not exceed the purchase value, as provided for in the centenary law of June 27, 1919 on the suppression of traffic in theater tickets.
- Finally, be aware that "non-transferable" tickets are completely legal. If this is the case, and although the controls are rare in reality, the organizer has quite the right to refuse you access to the show if your name does not appear on the ticket.
Concretely, if you are a private individual and you want to resell your places because you are unavailable, you don't have to worry. However, most theater performances and other music festivals are subsidized, so avoid exposing yourself to unnecessary risks by making capital gains on this kind of tickets.
Read also: The Viagogo ticket resale platform hit by the crackdown on fraud
For regular sellers, on the other hand - and this is what is criticized by Viagogo -, the sale of this type of product is much more controlled. The reseller is accused by UFC-Que Choisir of having sold tickets for sporting or cultural events " without the authorization of the organizers ". In addition, the Swiss company would have sold the tickets at prices much higher than the purchase price on subsidized shows ...
