Fair Trading Deputy Commissioner Steve Griffin is encouraging NSW people to have their say on ticket scalping through an online survey, before it closes next week.

Mr Griffin said more than 200 submissions had already been received.

“Ticket scalping is an issue of concern for many NSW consumers,” he said.

“Fair Trading is working closely with the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council on a review of ticket on-selling and the impact on consumers.

“That is why we are running this survey, so we can provide a range of real-life experiences and attitudes towards ticket scalping.

“NSW consumers have a right to expect fair access to tickets for popular events at a reasonable price.

“Scalping can restrict supply and unfairly inflate prices, sometimes by hundreds of dollars, and scalpers’ activities hurt legitimate businesses as well as individuals.”

Mr Griffin said Fair Trading’s online survey was giving consumers an opportunity to have their say and contribute to work being done at the national level.

“Consumer input will play a vital part in the Advisory Council review and I urge any consumers who are yet to participate to get online and share their views,” he said.

An Issues Paper on ticket scalping and on-selling practices is available at the Commonwealth Treasury website: http://www.treasury.gov.au/contentitem.asp?NavId=&ContentID=1821
The paper provides a comprehensive overview of scalping, including:

• the reasons why scalping occurs
• the different forms it can take
• its impact on consumers and industry and
• local and international approaches to controlling scalping, both regulatory and non-regulatory.

Consumers and interested groups can take part in the online survey at this website or make a direct submission on the issues paper by emailing CCAAC@treasury.gov.au, or by writing to:
CCAAC Issues Paper Infrastructure
Competition and Consumer Division
The Treasury
Langton Crescent
PARKES ACT 2600 

The NSW Fair Trading survey closes on 28 July 2010.

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