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 their investment of time and effort.

Eventim cooperated with the HCA’s investigation by admitting the violation and waiving its right to appeal. The company committed to compensating customers who made purchases on its platform between 1 January 2022 and 2 February 2023. Affected consumers will be reimbursed an amount equivalent to the hidden handling fees they were charged. To receive compensation, consumers must confirm their bank account details in response to an email notification. The compensation is expected to affect over 80,000 consumers, amounting to more than HUF 70 million (approximately EUR 175,000).

Additionally, Eventim has pledged to simplify its pricing structure by introducing a single service charge, disclosed to consumers at an appropriate stage of the purchasing process.

The HCA will conduct a follow-up investigation to ensure compliance with these commitments. The final decision also includes a conditional fine, which means that if the company fails to pay compensation up to the required amount, the HCA will issue an order to collect the remaining difference as a fine.