The minister in charge of consumer protection, Kris Peeters, has requested the Economic Inspection Service to open an investigation following complaints his ministry has received about the sale of tickets for Tomorrowland, Peeters said on Monday on Radio 2. The electronic dance music festival has reportedly been charging extra for packaging and port fees, whereas these are already included in ticket prices, the minister said.
Tomorrowland has admitted adding 4.75 euros in charges for service, along with 11.50 euros for packaging and sales costs. “According to our chief, that’s legal, but we are now awaiting the opinion of the Economic Inspection Service,” Spokeswoman Debbie Wilmson said. “These are costs that are not specific to the festival’s tickets. The breakdown, as we do it, is the norm at events both in Belgium and abroad.”
Minister Peeters explained that such costs can be charged, but should be included in the price, and not added during the reservation process when they are charged per ticket. Similarly, when costs are charged per reservation and not per ticket, that must also be clearly stated. “Any violation can lead to a fine of up to 80,000 euros or even 200,000 euros in the event of bad faith,” the minister said.
Similarly, charging fees for using payment methods such as Bancontact or Visa will soon be a thing of the past, Peeters added. In this regard, a bill domesticating a new European Union directive is expected this Spring.
The Brussels Times
