NSW Fair Trading issued eBay with multiple infringement notices following an investigation into the sale of NRL Grand Final tickets on its platform.

According to the NSW Fair Trading, eBay’s office in Sydney was visited on Friday, and penalty notices were issued for the sale of NRL Grand Final tickets, which was in violation of the regulations.

Fair Trading Commissioner Natasha Mann says corporations can be fined up to $110,000 under the Fair Trading Act if they are found to have broken ticket reselling laws, and individuals can be fined up to $22,000,

“To protect consumers, NSW laws require advertisements for the resale of tickets to specify the original cost of the ticket and a resale price that is no more than 10 per cent above the original cost.” says Mann

eBay has clear policies in place in regard to the reselling of tickets, as well as its eBay Regulatory Portal, which enables Australian authorities, including the ACCC, the Therapeutic Goods Authority, the Victorian Department of Jobs Precincts and Regions (which regulates ticket sales in Victoria), to efficiently report and remove listings for illegal or unsafe items.

According to an eBay spokesperson it removed the tickets listings from its marketplace as soon as it was alerted by Fair Trading.

“48 listings have been taken down and our team will continue monitoring and sweeping for items in the lead up to the NRL Grand Final,” 

“Our community, including regulators, reporting is a crucial part of keeping our marketplace safe for consumers, as we have a range of mechanisms in place to monitor for items in breach of our policies.” 

“It is a shame that NSW Fair Trading has chosen to issue penalties without providing an opportunity to work together in this instance, given the tools available to us and our willingness to collaborate.” the spokesman says.

It’s expected eBay will respond to NSW Fair Trading’s notice in due course.