The United States Senate has introduced the new Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act that could put an end to all those expensive hidden fees.
The TICKET Act was introduced on Tuesday, April 25 by U.S. Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash) and committee ranking member Ted Cruz (R-Texas). If passed, The TICKET Act would require ticket sellers for concerts and sporting events to be upfront about all associated costs with each sale. So no more "$25 tickets" that all of a sudden turns into a $60 ticket at checkout.
The kinda crappy news here is that it doesn't prevent the fees from occurring. So if Ticketmaster wants to charge you that mysterious $35 in fees on top of your $25 ticket, they're going to. You'll just know about it in advance.
"When families budget for a night at a ball game or to hear their favorite band, they shouldn't have to worry about being surprised by hidden fees that suddenly raise the final cost of tickets well over the advertised price," Cantwell said in a statement. "The price they say should be the price you pay. This bill is one part of comprehensive legislation I plan to introduce to rein in deceptive junk fees driving up costs for consumers."
"Sports fans and concertgoers alike have experienced the frustration of expecting to pay the listed price for a ticket only to be hit with a slew of hidden fees at checkout," added Cruz. "These unadvertised fees are a nuisance and deter consumers from following through with a purchase. The TICKET Act brings transparency to the whole ticketing industry, which is dominated by a few large players that can capitalize on these hidden fees."
Live Nation also issued a statement in support of the TICKET Act, saying that more could be done. Which is a little strange, considering Live Nation is a part of Live Nation Entertainment who owns Ticketmaster. So… couldn't they just kinda do some of this themselves?
"We appreciate the good work of Senators Cantwell and Cruz. This bill is a good starting point — we support all-in pricing — but in order to protect fans and artists more can and should be done, including: ensuring artists can determine how their tickets can be resold, banning speculative tickets and deceptive websites, and strengthening the BOTS Act," the company said.
"These are all common sense reforms supported by a wide array of artists, managers, venues and countless others involved in live entertainment, and they should be included in whatever reforms Congress considers."
The full bill is available here.
