Just before Christmas

Scam with popular Tonie children’s audio games

A small start-up has become an internationally successful company: Tonie audio games can be found in many children's bedrooms.(Bild: Tonie)

A concerned mother sounds the alarm: popular children's toys are being sold on various platforms at far too high a price - illegally. However, reselling doesn't just affect Tonie figures, you also have to dig deep into your pockets for concert tickets.

"It's disgusting," complains one Tyrolean mother. "At the moment, the Christmas Tonie figures are being bought empty in the stores and then resold for three times as much on platforms like willhaben or ebay. That's not allowed!" Tonies are small figures that you can use to listen to radio plays. The Tyrolean is very familiar with these figures; her children are four and ten years old. The mother reports that the Tonie company sometimes makes limited editions and "four minutes after they go on sale, they are sold out and twenty minutes later on willhaben - at twice the price."

The Christmas Tonie figures are currently being sold out in stores and then resold on platforms for three times the price.

Mutter aus Tirol

This is of course particularly annoying just before Christmas, as it is currently affecting the radio plays from "Weihnachtsmann & Co. KG", for example. This is an animated TV series from the 90s, which is also available as a radio play. A quick search confirms this: The figures, which normally cost 16.99 euros, can be found on willhaben for up to 50 euros. There seems to have been a veritable collecting frenzy, but it's not clear who - the children or the parents.

This also applies to concert tickets or soccer tickets
However, the expensive reselling on various platforms does not only affect the Tonie figures. "You see the same thing with concert tickets or tickets for the soccer match when Real Madrid was in Tirol and played against WSG. They were also gone within a short space of time and then an hour later for twice the price on willhaben."

The angry mother wonders why nobody is doing anything about this, as the platforms are obliged to report sales. Specifically, the Ministry of Finance states: "Platforms must report sellers if there are more than 30 relevant activities and the total amount of remuneration paid or credited exceeds 2,000 euros." And further: "The tax authorities receive numerous reports, especially when alleged private sellers offer several hundred items. The data is compared with the tax returns and criminal proceedings are initiated if the income is not declared."

It remains to be seen how well this system works, as reselling is apparently not uncommon. In any case, those affected would like to see a more rigorous approach.