Secondary ticketing – a stable and fair price policy
The safest option for fans to buy tickets is still via the official channels of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs. The online ticket shops, call centres or traditional booking offices are some of the sales channels of the official primary market. The clubs are individually responsible for the organisation and pricing. All of the clubs’ official ticket offers are compiled and available under bundesliga.de/tickets.
Fans using these official sales channels can be sure that they are buying tickets at the original price. However, there is a plethora of online auctions and various alternative platforms where this is not the case. Tickets are often offered at vastly inflated prices. Moreover, tickets bought through official ordering channels are genuine. There is always a risk that tickets purchased via other ‘channels’ may be forged, blocked or invalid, thus denying the eventual holders access to the stadium.
For the 2015/2016 season, the clubs and the DFL responded to the unauthorised sale of tickets (grey or black market) for matches of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 by introducing the official secondary ticket market for the legal resale of tickets at fair prices. These shape the way for a fair and regulated resale. These nine rules include the commitment to a stable and fair price policy, and to a secondary market price that may not exceed the original price of the individual ticket, among other things. Software developed specifically for club requirements complements the clubs’ own secondary ticket market solutions, and uses synergies to give fans the opportunity to offer and buy tickets on the secondary market in a fair environment.
Our fair play rules:
1. We offer our fans a service-oriented “official secondary ticket market”.
We want to give fans the opportunity to sell on tickets they are not able to use. This should be a secure and simple process for the seller and buyer.
2. We campaign for a stable and fair price policy.
We want ticket sales to be deemed fair. Nobody should get rich selling tickets at the expense of other fans.
3. We want to actively tackle the black market.
The clubs’ joint communicative and judicial action should combat the black market, where its traders and online platforms operate contrary to our fair play rules and place fans at a financial disadvantage with overpriced tickets.
4. Our aim is not to maximise profits.
The fair secondary ticket market is not intended to maximise the clubs’ profits, but to offer the fans a fair service.
5. The ticket price shall not exceed the original price paid for the individual ticket.
The price for each seat sold may not exceed the individual ticket price defined by the club.
6. The maximum service charge for the ticket exchange is 15 percent per order.
The service charge levied on the ticket resale may not exceed 15 percent of the order value.
7. The delivery costs are standard for the market, as in traditional ticket sales.
Each club sets the delivery costs individually. The costs vary greatly, for example, between insured express delivery and mailing tickets by normal mail. The price of sending secondary market tickets should be in line with that of sending primary market tickets.
8. The clubs can guarantee the security of the offer and of the tickets.
Tickets bought via the “official ticket resale” are genuine, and can be used without any problems. There is always a risk that tickets purchased via other channels may be forged, blocked or invalid, thus denying the eventual holders access to the stadium.
9. We treat the fans’ personal data sensitively, and guarantee compliance with all the legal regulations for data protection.
All clubs that participate in the “official secondary ticket market” guarantee the security of their fans’ data.