Scandal for payment chips: Festivals collect inadmissible additional fees!

Scandal for payment chips: Festivals collect inadmissible additional fees!

Bremerhaven, Deutschland - In Germany it is again called "Festival time", and events such as Rock am Ring, Nature One and Wacken Open Air are very popular. However, the popular coin of pleasure, the payment chip, also brings with it some unpleasant surprises, as the consumer center now shows. Visitors have to set themselves up on numerous additional costs that can be significantly significant when it comes to festival pleasure. City of Bremerhaven reports that the consumer center has identified problematic business practices at several festivals.

The costs for activating or first charging of these chips amount to between 29 cents and 2 euros. This is not only annoying, it could also be illegal in many cases. According to the Federal Association of Consumer Centers (VZBV), such additional costs are inadmissible if the chips represent the only payment option at the venue and can only be charged using an EC or credit card. In addition, the reimbursement of residual credit after the festival is another annoyance: some organizers raise fees or pay no amounts of under 1 to 2.50 euros. Here the consumer advice center emphasizes that visitors are legally entitled to a complete reimbursement without deductions.

Legal steps against the organizer

To put an end to these practices, the consumer center has initiated legal steps. Out of ten festival organizers, eight have already signed a declaration of cease and desist. A lawsuit against Heroes Festival GmbH is currently being negotiated at the Bamberg Higher Regional Court, which deals with the inadmissible fees of 1.50 euros for the chip charging and 50 cents for reimbursements. The Berlin Regional Court has also decided that additional costs are inadmissible at the Lollapalooza Festival-however, this judgment is not yet final. Furthermore, the Bochum district court declared the activation fees and minimum payment amounts at the Juicy Beats Festival.

The ticket prices themselves also cause confusion, since many organizers only make service fees visible when they finish. This attracts the anger of consumers, who feel disadvantaged in the price comparison. Consumers are used to that a transparent price model also belongs to a relaxed festival visit.

Where do affected festival goers turn?

The festival time should bring joy, not inconvenience. Let us not spoil the fun of unfair additional fees, and we rely on the fact that the rules are asserted for all organizers. So let's be excited to see how the legal disputes will develop. A successful festival feeling for everyone!