Why you'll be safer buying tickets for Taylor and co - Rocio Concha

In the midst of the recent surprise announcement, you may have missed some important changes to the law. In calling a general election, the governing party must decide which pieces of legislation that were coming should be enacted before the dissolution of Parliament. Some fell by the wayside for lack of time to make them laws – such as plans to reform renters’ rights and introduce an independent football regulator. Others, however, made their way to the statute books. One such law was the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC Act) – new protections campaigned for by Which? that will make consumers' lives fairer.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the principal regulator responsible for competition and consumer protection in the UK, can now introduce regulations to promote competition in digital markets for the benefit of consumers. The regulator can also now take action against businesses that breach consumer law without lengthy court procedures and give it the ability to fine firms 10 per cent of their global takeover. This should help put an end to cases like secondary ticketing website Viagogo getting away with misleading consumers for years, exploiting the weakness of the regulator as it was forced to drag cases through courts.

We are still awaiting the final guidance for firms, but there are some things we know will change. One is drip pricing. This tactic of “drip feeding” prices throughout the purchasing process can leave customers with a nasty surprise at the checkout. Which? research found that these sneaky fees can add as much as 20 per cent onto the final price for gig tickets. New laws will mean that sites need to provide the full price upfront.

Fans of artists like Taylor Swift, pictured at one of her recent Murrayfield shows, will no longer be easy prey for online ticket touts (Picture: Lisa Ferguson)

The legislation will also clamp down on fake reviews. At Which? we know all too well the power of a review – positive or negative – to influence others’ decision making. Dodgy businesses know that too. Our investigations have repeatedly exposed fake review factories on well-known sites like Facebook trading glowing reviews for websites like Amazon, Google and Trustpilot in exchange for free products or payment. New laws will make those a thing of the past, so consumers reading reviews should know they are what they say they are.

This is, of course, all cause to celebrate. But with an election on the horizon, there remain battles left un-won. There are signs that the pain caused by the cost of living crisis is starting to ease, but that doesn’t mean hordes of consumers will now become lavish in their spending. Financial considerations are still real and the next government must prioritise making life fairer for households.

Following the progress of the DMCC Act, whoever leads the next government must shore up consumer protection by strengthening product safety laws so consumers know the products they buy won’t cause them risk of injury or even death. That means greater legal responsibilities for online platforms to ensure the products sold on their sites are safe.

New ministers should also review hollowed-out Trading Standards services with the right level of resources and skills at central, regional and local levels, and regulatory powers that are fit for the digital age. We rely on Trading Standards to police a whole host of protections, from product safety to food standards and fair pricing practices, as well as being able to take action when something goes wrong, like being ripped off by an incompetent builder or being sold a faulty product. But their work has become increasingly reactive in recent years and Trading Standards departments in some parts of the country have been severely diminished.

The most up-to-date figures show that 36 million consumers experienced a problem with a product or service in a single year. That clearly comes with financial repercussions to consumers’ wallets. Some government estimates suggest the economic cost is more than £54 billion. But it also means hours and hours of time spent trying to resolve problems with companies, with all the stress and the worry that comes with trying to get in contact with customer service departments.

Huge strides have been made this year to make consumers’ lives fairer. But more work is needed. Whoever wins the General Election must take note – and action.

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Rocio Concha is Director of Policy and Advocacy at Which?