Hidden costs and time pressure Consumer protection uncovers questionable ticket tricks at Swiss leisure giants
Many providers use questionable methods when purchasing tickets for cultural and leisure activities. Consumer protection speaks of widespread manipulation - in some cases even illegal. These include the Knie Circus, Zurich Zoo and the KKL in Lucerne.
08.05.2026, 10:20
08.05.2026, 10:29
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- Consumer protection found so-called dark patterns in 48 out of 73 ticket stores investigated, some of which were even illegal.
- Well-known providers such as Zurich Zoo and Circus Knie are also affected.
- Frequent tricks include pre-selected additional services, hidden costs and artificial time pressure through countdowns.
- According to the investigation, at least 13 providers are operating illegally. Consumer protection is now calling for changes.
Consumer protection has discovered widespread manipulation in online ticket stores for Swiss cultural and leisure activities. According to an investigation, 48 out of 73 providers use so-called dark patterns. Some are in breach of Swiss law.
The manipulation is often carried out via pre-selected, chargeable additional services or through artificial time pressure by means of countdowns, Consumer Protection announced on Friday. The aim of the providers is to increase revenue and collect personal data. Large and nationally known institutions are also affected by this practice, such as the Alpamare water park, Circus Knie, Zurich Zoo, the KKL in Lucerne and the Moon and Stars Festival in Locarno.
Time pressure and dates
According to the report, dark patterns with pre-ticked boxes for ticket insurance, donations or newsletter registration are particularly widespread. Many providers also rely on tight countdowns. These were intended to urge customers to complete a purchase quickly and prevent them from noticing and deselecting the additional options.
According to Consumer Protection, at least 13 of the websites examined were illegal. Its managing director Sara Stalder described this as "alarming". She expects large institutions in particular to work seriously. In addition, most providers demanded an unnecessary amount of personal data such as date of birth or home address.
Consumer protection called on the companies concerned to rectify the shortcomings: Pre-selected checkboxes for additional services should disappear and the countdowns for completing orders should be set to at least 20 minutes. According to the press release, the demands have already had an effect. The first providers have announced that they will adapt their websites or have already done so.
