New Senate bill would push ticket sellers to disclose fees upfront

WASHINGTON — Fans of the Swiftes, BeyHive and Cure may have reason to rejoice. Senators are due Wednesday to introduce a bipartisan bill targeting hidden ticket fees for live events.

Called the Transparency in Ticket Prices for Significant Events (TICKET) Act, the bill would require ticket sellers to disclose full ticket prices, including fees, upfront for concerts, sporting events, and other large gatherings. I have.

of new bill following the reintroduction of Nuisance Fee Prevention Act Arizona Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego and Washington, D.C. Push fee transparency.

Appeared as a member of parliament wage a wider battle against ticket sellers. In December, fans sued Live Nation after Ticketmaster’s site crashed during pre-sales of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour.” The hearings have led to an inquiry into the power of entertainment conglomerates over the industry. At the time, some Capitol Hill critics called Live Nation an exclusive.

Ticketmaster also promised return some money Goth-rock band The Cure’s ‘Shows of a Lost World Tour’ tickets have been slashed by group leader Robert Smith to fans who bought them earlier this year. After the band agreed that many of its fees were “excessively high”, it offered refunds of up to $10 to verified fan accounts.

The new bill is co-sponsored by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), chairman of the Chamber of Commerce’s Commerce Committee, and Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), an executive member.

“The price they say should be the price you pay. This bill is part of a comprehensive law I plan to introduce to curb deceptive junk fees that drive up costs for consumers.” Cantwell said in a statement.

“The TICKET Act brings transparency to the entire ticket industry, which is controlled by a few large players who can take advantage of these hidden fees,” Cruz said in a statement.

Ticket fees can account for anywhere from 21% up to 58% of the total ticket cost, according to a commission statement. The bill aims to promote competition “by providing transparency on ticket prices and speculative tickets for the benefit of all consumers,” the commission said.

If the bill is passed, primary and secondary market ticket sellers such as Live Nation-owned Ticketmaster and SeatGeek will disclose full ticket prices, including itemized fees, at the start of the transaction and prior to ticket selection. is needed. Event marketing should also clearly display the total ticket price.

Secondary market sellers are obliged to fully disclose the speculative ticket status, which means that the seller does not actually own the tickets.

President Joe Biden is Junk fee crackdown in the State of the Union address in February. Among other areas, he called for action against excessive fees for concerts, sporting events and other forms of entertainment. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (DR.I .) teeth, Senate Companion Bill To Biden’s plan in March.

Parallel to the administration’s goals, the Federal Trade Commission also Rulemaking process November 8, 2022 – Midterm Election Day – To investigate unfair practices and practices related to tickets and various other fees.

According to February 7, Ticketmaster said it does not control fees but retains some of its operating costs. blog postThe vendor also says it already supports “all-in” pricing in New York state and advocates for nationwide adoption of the policy.

“We continue to support industry-wide upfront pricing so fans can see face value and fees up front. It will only work if all ticket markets work as one, so that all ticket markets can work together,” Ticketmaster said in a blog post.