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Senators Introduce ‘Fans First’ Bill Intended to Reform Live-Event Ticketing System
Senators Introduce ‘Fans First’ Bill Intended to Reform Live-Event Ticketing System
snippets:
Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Peter Welch (D-VT) have introduced the Fans First Act, which would help “address flaws in the current live event ticketing system by increasing transparency in ticket sales, protecting consumers from fake or dramatically overpriced tickets, and holding bad actors who engage in illegal ticket sale practices accountable,” according to the announcement...
The move follows a similar action approved Wednesday by the House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee: a series of long-in-the-works ticketing reforms centered around pricing transparency and speculative selling. The Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act will require primary and secondary sellers like Live Nation’s Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and StubHub to disclose the full ticket price, including fees, at the start of a transaction, prior to seat selection. Secondary sellers will also be forbidden from transacting tickets they do not actually possess.
According to the Senators’ announcement, the Fair Fans act would help address the following areas in the current ticketing system:
Ticket Sales Transparency: Requires all live event ticket sellers and resellers to disclose
Consumer Protection:
Stopping Bad Actors:
Senators Introduce ‘Fans First’ Bill Intended to Reform Live-Event Ticketing System
Senators Introduce ‘Fans First’ Bill Intended to Reform Live-Event Ticketing System
snippets:
Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Peter Welch (D-VT) have introduced the Fans First Act, which would help “address flaws in the current live event ticketing system by increasing transparency in ticket sales, protecting consumers from fake or dramatically overpriced tickets, and holding bad actors who engage in illegal ticket sale practices accountable,” according to the announcement...
The move follows a similar action approved Wednesday by the House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee: a series of long-in-the-works ticketing reforms centered around pricing transparency and speculative selling. The Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act will require primary and secondary sellers like Live Nation’s Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and StubHub to disclose the full ticket price, including fees, at the start of a transaction, prior to seat selection. Secondary sellers will also be forbidden from transacting tickets they do not actually possess.
According to the Senators’ announcement, the Fair Fans act would help address the following areas in the current ticketing system:
Ticket Sales Transparency: Requires all live event ticket sellers and resellers to disclose
- The total cost of the ticket, including fees, when the fan initially selects a ticket for purchase;
- A breakdown of the ticket cost;
- Clear terms and conditions of purchase;
- Which seat or section they are selling in to avoid ticket misrepresentation;
- and whether or not they are the original seller.
Consumer Protection:
- Strengthens the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, signed into law in 2016, to further prohibit the use of bots to purchase tickets online.
- Requires sellers and resellers to provide proof of purchase to consumers within 24 hours of purchase.
- Requires sellers and resellers to refund consumers the full cost of the ticket when events are canceled.
- Requires a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study to further study the marketplace and make recommendations.
Stopping Bad Actors:
- Imposes civil penalties on resellers engaging in illegal ticket sale practices, creates a reporting website for fans to file complaints, and tasks the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general with enforcement.
- Prohibits the sale of a ticket that the reseller represents they possess but actually do not, known as a speculative or “spec” ticket.
- Prevents the use of deceptive websites and bad actors masquerading as legitimate sellers.
- Requires reporting of BOTS Act violations from ticketing companies to the FTC and requires the FBI to share ticketing violations with them.