General

Ticketek Australia hit with $500,000 fine over spam law breach

mingooland
3 min read
Ticketek Australia hit with $500,000 fine over spam law breach
Check your BMI

Ticketek Australia has paid a fine of more than $500,000 after they were found to have breached Australian spam laws.

Almost 100,000 text and emails were sent to people last year without the consent of the recipients or to people who had previously unsubscribed, an Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found.

The entertainment company, which sells tickets to sporting and music events such as Taylor Swift's Eras Tour was issued an infringement notice of $515,040 over the messages.

READ MORE: Biden says Gaza hospital blast 'appears as though it was done by the other team'

ACMA Chairperson Nerida O'Loughlin said it was "unacceptable" that Ticketek failed to comply with the spam laws, after they had earlier received a formal warning.

"Australians are fed up with these types of intrusions on their privacy and Ticketek has no excuses given it was on notice after our previous action," she said.

The communications watchdog found Ticketek had "mischaracterised" some emails as being non-commercial, due to containing event information for ticket holders and therefore considered them exempt from spam rules.

ACMA also found the emails contained links to Ticketek's website and social media pages, which contained advertising material and promotions for upcoming events.

"Even if the purpose of a message is to provide factual information to customers, if it also includes marketing content, or links to marketing content, it can only be sent with consent," O'Loughlin said.

"It is also incredibly frustrating for people to take the time to unsubscribe only for those requests to not be actioned. Businesses must have working systems in place to comply with consumer choice and consent.

"We have seen several companies with similar failures over the last 12 months. All businesses conducting e-marketing should be actively and regularly reviewing whether their marketing complies with the law."

READ MORE: Victorian supermarkets lose more than $300k in goods stolen for resale

A Ticketek Spokesperson told 9news.com.au that the company regretted any impact customers had experienced by receiving those messages.

"Ticketek takes its obligations under the Spam Act very seriously and dedicates significant resources to ensuring compliance," the spokesperson said.

"We recognise however that no system is perfect, and we have been, and will continue to, work constructively with the ACMA in relation to the issues identified.

The company said they were surprised to learn that ACMA had stated customer consent was required to send messages that had the purpose of notifying customers of important event information, if those messages contain promotional material.

"We anticipate that many other businesses may not be aware that in ACMA's view these inclusions fall foul of the Act," the spokesperson said.

"We will continue to review our systems, procedures, and training relating to our compliance with the Spam Act to ensure that this does not happen again."

Ticketek will enter three-year court-enforceable with ACMA, which will require them to appoint an independent consultant to review its compliance with spam rules.

The company must also report to the ACMA while the undertaking is in force.

Multiple companies have previously been fined over spam laws, including; DoorDash, CommBank and MyCar Tyre & Auto.

Own a fractional luxury property

You Might Also Like

General

These are Montreal’s 5 sneakiest tourist traps, according to people who live in the city

<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/montreal-s-old-port-featuring-the-illuminated-grande-roue-de-montreal-and-a-colourful-ice-skating-rink-surrounded-by-snow-and-c.png?id=55832575&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C29%2C0%2C30"/><br/><br/><p>Like any major city, Montreal has two sides — one the tourists see and one they don't.</p><p>For folks passing through, essential stops throughout the city often include a handful of bucket list items such as climbing Mount Royal, <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/montreal-bagels">having a world-famous Montreal bagel</a>, and attending a Canadiens game.</p><p>However, not everything catered to visitors is worth their while. </p><p>With that in mind, <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/r/entryeditor/<iframe%20src=%22https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMTLBlog%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0pH7NZQipu2hBGuLYDaK8DVoMBSfi9Kz88mukKAk5gjZdWCrmWWK9ffJqKYkAWXFdl&show_text=true&width=500%22%20width=%22500%22%20height=%22250%22%20style=%22border:none;overflow:hidden%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allowfullscreen=%22true%22%20allow=%22autoplay;%20clipboard-write;%20encrypted-media;%20picture-in-picture;%20web-share%22%3E</iframe%3E" target="_self">we asked MTL Blog's social media followers</a> one simple question: "What do you think is <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal-tourist-attractions-ranked-disappointing-canada">Montreal's biggest tourist trap</a>?"</p><p>Our readers didn't disappoint, getting specific with what they thought tourists (or locals!) should skip the next time they're in town.</p><p>With that said, here's a list of activities visitors might want to think twice about based on the top responses.</p><h3>The "underground city"</h3><br/><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAjP5zRTPu3/" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div> </div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAjP5zRTPu3/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">See on Instagram</a> </p> </div> </blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><p>Visitors often get excited when they hear about Montreal having a grand underground city. In reality, it's more of a shopping mall connected through a series of tunnels and Metro stations.</p><p>"Tourists think it's a historic archaeological underground urban wonder, like Troy. Boy, are they disappointed to see only an extended shopping mall," one Facebook user remarked.</p><p>Unless you're looking to escape a snowstorm, this might not be the hidden wonder that you're expecting.</p><h3>Eating in the Old Port</h3><br/><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_ETFdUxKMY/" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div> </div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_ETFdUxKMY/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">See on Instagram</a> </p> </div> </blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><p>Montreal is notorious for having an excellent food scene. Unfortunately, most of its finest establishments are outside the city's central tourist hub.</p><p>"I used to live in the Old Port," one Facebook user said. "A lot of the restaurants are, how should I say this, not catering to return customers."</p><p>Others took the opportunity to vent about the current state of the area. "It has been converted into a shanty town of T-shirts and souvenir shot glass vendors... Used to be a classy neighbourhood," another Montrealer chimed in.</p><p>While the Old Port itself is worth a stroll, you may want to venture elsewhere for a <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/you-havent-dined-montreal-unless-youve-tried-these-spots-once">genuinely authentic Montreal meal</a>.</p><h3>La Ronde</h3><br/><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C9AHGllRPZZ/?img_index=1" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div> </div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C9AHGllRPZZ/?img_index=1" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">See on Instagram</a> </p> </div> </blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><p>Most Montrealers have been to La Ronde at least once. While some love it, plenty of folks were quick to call Quebec's largest amusement park a total tourist trap.</p><p>"There was a time when La Ronde was a great theme park. But no longer," one local noted.</p><p><span></span>If you're used to bigger theme parks like Canada's Wonderland or Six Flags, you might find some of La Ronde's attractions underwhelming to say the least.</p><h3>La Grande Roue</h3><br/><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_am4_pg8d-/" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div> </div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_am4_pg8d-/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">See on Instagram</a> </p> </div> </blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><p>It's hard to miss this massive Ferris wheel in the Old Port, but opinions are divided on its value.</p><p>Many commenters agreed the view was nice but not worth the steep entry price. </p><p>Considering adult tickets go for upwards of $27 a ride, we see their point.</p><h3>Schwartz's Deli</h3><br/><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DESbyd8JiZ6/" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div> </div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DESbyd8JiZ6/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">See on Instagram</a> </p> </div> </blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><p>It may be hard to believe, but this <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/oldest-montreal-restaurants-still-open" target="_self">beloved Montreal institution</a> topped the list of Montreal's biggest tourist hotspots, according to our readers.</p><p>Many claimed the 98-year-old smoked meat shop's famous sandwich wasn't worth the hype or the long lines.</p><p>"Schwartz's Deli. Mediocre smoked meat at tourist prices," one straight-talking user commented.</p><p>Others hesitated to call it a tourist trap, torn between the steep price and the undeniable taste.</p><p>"I hate to say it, but Schwartz's Deli," another added.</p><p>While the deli is not cheap and can be a bit crowded, it's hard to call it a "trap" once you've taken a bite of their iconic sandwich. Nevertheless, the people have spoken!</p><p>What's more, it seems like some of these responses reflect wider trends when it comes to Montreal's overrated destinations.</p><p>Last year, Preply analyzed Tripadvisor reviews from over 130 tourist attractions across the country. <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal-tourist-attractions-ranked-disappointing-canada" target="_self">Montreal's La Ronde was crowned Canada's second-worst attraction</a> (behind Marineland in Niagara Falls), with 51.86% " of reviewers describing it as "disappointing."</p><p>Two more Montreal spots ranked on the list: the Olympic Park (30.80% of people were disappointed) and the Biodome (21.86%). Zoom out to the top 20, and Montreal makes the list again (yikes), with Rue Sainte-Catherine placing 16th.</p><p><span></span>Meanwhile, some of our readers took the question a little too literally, either calling the entire city a tourist trap or pointing to people getting "trapped" in the city's infamous array of potholes.</p><p>"Probably the potholes, tourists get in one and just can’t get back out," one user commented</p><p>Looking for more local insights? In a video we filmed a few months back, Montrealers shared their thoughts on other popular spots often labelled as tourist traps, such as the Orange Julep, La Banquise, and the Montreal Science Centre.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"> <span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="81ad26c5a3738fcdccd5340a54cf7a69" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PX4f_1UvDz0?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span> </p><p>Taking all these responses into account, it's become clear that tourist traps are often just a matter of perspective.</p><p>What you may deem a rip-off, others might see as an unmissable experience — and hey, at least these hotspots help keep the crowds away from <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/hidden-gem-montreal" target="_blank">Montreal’s real hidden gems</a>.</p>

mingooland · · 4 min read