Irish Consumer Protection Authority launches investigation into Oasis ticket sales – The Irish Times

The Irish Consumer Protection Authority has launched an official investigation into Ticketmaster over its handling of Oasis ticket sales last weekend.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said it had been prompted to act after receiving over 100 complaints from disappointed fans of the band, who are due to play in Croke Park next summer.

Fans and politicians expressed concern about the way the tickets were sold and the dynamic pricing, which resulted in the price of tickets for the same areas of the stadium more than doubling over the course of Saturday morning.

“The CCPC has reviewed more than 100 contacts from consumers who are extremely disappointed and frustrated with their experience purchasing tickets to Oasis concerts,” said CCPC Chairman Brian McHugh.

“While businesses in Ireland are permitted to respond to market demand, there are legitimate concerns about the way consumers have been treated and we have decided that a thorough investigation is necessary. If we find that consumer protection laws have been breached, we will take action,” he continued.

Mr McHugh thanked consumers “who took the time to call or email our helpline to tell us about their experiences, as their stories have helped us to put the spotlight on what happened last weekend.”

The CCPC said it would welcome written comments and any supporting material from consumers about their experiences purchasing or attempting to purchase Oasis tickets last weekend and said these could be emailed to a dedicated investigation team at [email protected].

“As an investigation has now been launched, the CCPC is unable to comment further at this time,” it concluded in a statement released on Friday evening.