The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has imposed a fine of €270,000 on the operator of Ticketveiling.
nl for using automated bidding bots that artificially raised prices and deceived consumers.
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The regulator found that House of Tickets B. V.
manipulated its online auction platform with a specially designed algorithm that operated under multiple fake names and employed various bidding strategies.
Between August 1, 2024, and December 1, 2024, the bidding bot was deployed across more than 70,000 auction lots.
The system aimed to reach a pre-determined minimum price without informing human participants.
When the algorithm won an auction, the platform allowed human bidders to accept the offer at the final price, but concealed that the winning bid came from an automated bot.
This led thousands of consumers to accept terms they would have otherwise rejected.
The ACM emphasized that the company prioritized its own financial interests over consumer welfare, compromising market integrity.
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Many buyers would have refrained from bidding had they known the truth.
Company Cooperated with Investigation
“In auctions, prices are determined by supply and demand. Consumers must be able to trust that this happens fairly.
By using a bidding bot, the company behind Ticketveiling. nl deliberately disrupted this process.
This damages people's trust in the online world,” said Martijn Ridderbos, ACM board member.
House of Tickets B. V.
acknowledged the violations and voluntarily stopped the automated bidding practice before the ACM completed its investigation. The company accepted the fine and waived its right to appeal.
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Because House of Tickets agreed to a simplified settlement procedure, the regulator granted a 10 percent discount, reducing the final penalty to €270,000.
