Eventim Case: Hungarian Competition Authority Enforces Consumer-Friendly Compensation For Dark Pricing Practices

According to the practice of the Hungarian Competition Authority (HCA), businesses that provide compensation to consumers affected by their unfair commercial practices may be partially or entirely exempt from fines. The extent of the exemption depends on factors such as the proportionality of the compensation relative to the harm caused, whether the compensation is unrestricted or comes with conditions, and the level of consumer effort required to claim it.

A recent example is the HCA's May 2024 ruling involving the Eventim ticket sales platform. The authority accepted the company's proactive commitment to remediate harm caused by its unfair practices.

The HCA determined that Eventim engaged in "drip pricing" for online ticket sales, revealing additional fees—such as handling, delivery, and collection costs—only after tickets were added to the shopping basket. This practice, known as a "dark pattern," manipulates consumers into accepting higher prices due to