ANKARA
German and British consumers booking holidays at Disneyland Paris are reportedly being charged more than French visitors, and the European Commission is looking into it.
The Commission is engaged in a what it calls a broad probe into ‘geoblocking’, or the practice of charging different amounts to consumers in different countries for the same product or service.
At Disneyland in Marne-la-Vallee, outside of Paris, it is reported that Disney was charging French consumers €1,346 ($1,487) for a premium package, while British visitors were charged €1,870 ($2,071), and German clients paid €2,447 ($2,711), according to a report in the Financial Times on Wednesday.
A European Commission spokeswoman on Tuesday said it had received several complaints about alleged discriminatory pricing at the theme park. The Commission has formally requested that France investigate the complaints.
A spokesman for Disney told the media Tuesday that the practice was seasonal and not based on consumer locations.
"The European Commission and European consumer centers frequently receive consumer complaints involving unjustified differences in treatment on the grounds of nationality or residence," the spokeswoman said.
"Too often, consumers seeking to buy services or goods in another member state are prevented from getting the best price," the spokeswoman added.
Removing internal barriers of this type in the single market can only help companies, Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson pointed out in a note published Wednesday.
However, some companies maintain that different pricing on different markets is a usual practice, intended to maximize returns.
But the Commission has come out strongly against geoblocking, as part of its effort to forge a single digital market in the EU. It is seen as a significant trade barrier.
On July 23, the Commission said in a statement that it had sent a "Statement of Objections" to Sky U.K. and six major U.S. film studios: Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount Pictures, Sony, Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros.
The Commission said it “takes the preliminary view that each of the six studios and Sky U.K. have bilaterally agreed to put in place contractual restrictions that prevent Sky U.K. from allowing EU consumers located elsewhere to access, via satellite or online, pay-TV services available in the U.K. and Ireland".
It added that geoblocking of this type violates EU anti-competition legislation.
A European Parliament report which called for an end to geoblocking was adopted on July 10 by a large majority. However, the parliament in June rejected proposals for complete harmonization of copyright laws, supporting the continuation of national protection for intellectual property.
Further action on geo-blocking is expected from the Commission in the next two months.
