The competition watchdog has opened a full investigation into Ticketmaster Ireland’s handling of sales of tickets for Oasis’s concerts in Croke Park next year.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said that people could contact CEDinvestigation@CCPC.ie with their experience of buying tickets for the band’s concerts.

"While companies in Ireland are allowed to respond to market demand, there are legitimate concerns over how consumers were treated, and we have decided that an in-depth investigation is necessary," said CCPC chair Brian McHugh.

‘Dynamic pricing’

This follows a similar announcement by Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) yesterday (5 September).

The body said that its probe into Ticketmaster in Britain would include an examination of how so-called ‘dynamic pricing’, where prices change depending on demand, might have been used.

It added that its investigation would consider whether people were given clear and timely information to explain that the tickets could be subject to ‘dynamic pricing’ and how this would operate – including the price they would pay for any tickets purchased.