OAN’s James Meyers
3:08 PM – Thursday, May 16, 2024
The House passed the Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing Act (TICKET) on Wednesday in order to help consumers see up front just how much they will actually end up paying for a ticket, avoiding hidden surcharges.
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The details of the TICKET Act would require sellers to list the total cost of a ticket to buyers, including the fees and taxes that usually come attached at the very end of a purchase.
The act would also require sellers to disclose whether the ticket they are selling is speculative, which means not currently in the seller’s possession.
The new bill would prohibit deceptive websites utilized by secondary sellers and it would require sellers to provide refunds if an event is canceled.
It will now move on to the Senate.
Additionally, another group of bipartisan senators also introduced the “Fans First Act” back in December, which would increase cost transparency and prevent resellers from listing tickets at outrageous prices due to demand.
The bill was first introduced in June 2023 by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.).
Bilirakis, subcommittee ranking member Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), and committee ranking member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), released a joint statement on the passage of the TICKET Act on Wednesday.
“This consensus legislation will end deceptive ticketing practices that frustrate consumers who simply want to enjoy a concert, show, or sporting event by restoring fairness and transparency to the ticket marketplace. After years of bipartisan work, we will now be able to enhance the customer experience of buying event tickets online. We look forward to continuing to work together to urge quick Senate passage so that we can send it to the President’s desk to be signed into law.”
However, there is currently no floor vote in place yet for the measure.
Dana McLean, executive director for the Coalition for Ticket Fairness (CTF), said that the bill “levels the playing field” for those seeking tickets to live events.
“It’ll make the buying process better for fans, they’ll have more information and that’s really what the CTF stands for, transparency and consumer choice,” she said in a phone interview.
Meanwhile, last week, Maryland banned the sale of speculative tickets and Minnesota required the disclosure of all fees in ticket prices.
“Not only has the U.S. House of Representatives moved to protect consumers from predatory and deceptive ticketing practices, but states across the country, including Arizona, Maryland, Minnesota and Nevada, have recently banned, without exception, speculative tickets on a bipartisan basis,” Stephen Parker, executive director of the National Independent Venue Association, said in a statement. “We call on Congress to do the same, to build on the TICKET Act and adopt strong, enforceable, comprehensive ticketing reform legislation like the Fans First Act.”
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