Renewing DNI in Barcelona becomes impossible due to appointment scalpers
The resale of appointments for renewing the DNI in Barcelona has skyrocketed: groups on Facebook are selling slots for 15-20 euros while the administration fails to react.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
DNI renewal appointment resale collapses Barcelona
In Barcelona, renewing the DNI has become an odyssey. Appointments sell out in minutes and are snatched up by scalpers who resell them on Facebook groups with thousands of members for 15-20 euros. The citizen attempting to obtain an appointment through official channels faces a saturated system and an unresponsive administration.
The mechanism is simple: scalpers use bots or scripts to book all available appointments as soon as they are published, and then offer them on platforms like Facebook. It has been documented that some citizens had to wake up at 1 a.m. to secure an appointment for November 10th, demonstrating the fierce competition. Meanwhile, police stations appear empty, with officials 'doing their job,' but unable to assist those without an appointment.
The inertia of the administration is another major protagonist. Criticism is leveled against the Ministry of Interior for failing to implement basic measures, such as linking the appointment to the DNI number, which would prevent resale. Bureaucracy extends to other procedures: renewing a driver's license costs 70 euros with a psychological test that evaluates nothing, and renewing digital certificates becomes a labyrinth of expired requirements.
Some argue that the solution is technical: if the appointment were linked to the applicant's DNI and physical presence required, resale would disappear. Others point to state complicity, arguing that the system is designed to push citizens into paying for services that should be free. The irony is that the public administration, which should guarantee access, becomes the main obstacle.
The resale of appointments is not a new phenomenon, but its expansion in Barcelona has reached black market levels. As long as the Ministry of Interior does not act, citizens will continue to pay for something that should be free, or spend sleepless nights hoping a slot appears. Ultimately, the system rewards the reseller and punishes the ordinary citizen.
In Barcelona, renewing the DNI has become an odyssey. Appointments sell out in minutes and are snatched up by scalpers who resell them on Facebook groups with thousands of members for 15-20 euros. The citizen attempting to obtain an appointment through official channels faces a saturated system and an unresponsive administration.
The mechanism is simple: scalpers use bots or scripts to book all available appointments as soon as they are published, and then offer them on platforms like Facebook. It has been documented that some citizens had to wake up at 1 a.m. to secure an appointment for November 10th, demonstrating the fierce competition. Meanwhile, police stations appear empty, with officials 'doing their job,' but unable to assist those without an appointment.
The inertia of the administration is another major protagonist. Criticism is leveled against the Ministry of Interior for failing to implement basic measures, such as linking the appointment to the DNI number, which would prevent resale. Bureaucracy extends to other procedures: renewing a driver's license costs 70 euros with a psychological test that evaluates nothing, and renewing digital certificates becomes a labyrinth of expired requirements.
Some argue that the solution is technical: if the appointment were linked to the applicant's DNI and physical presence required, resale would disappear. Others point to state complicity, arguing that the system is designed to push citizens into paying for services that should be free. The irony is that the public administration, which should guarantee access, becomes the main obstacle.
The resale of appointments is not a new phenomenon, but its expansion in Barcelona has reached black market levels. As long as the Ministry of Interior does not act, citizens will continue to pay for something that should be free, or spend sleepless nights hoping a slot appears. Ultimately, the system rewards the reseller and punishes the ordinary citizen.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (15 replies).
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