A bipartisan bill to address issues with the ticketing industry and give customers additional protections when buying tickets for live entertainment such as concerts and sporting events was introduced by the U.S. Senate last week.
Dubbed the “Fans First Act,” the bill tackles three main issues that have plagued the concert-going public for years: price transparency, consumer protection, and high resale prices.
The proposed law would mandate that ticket sellers identify the exact seat or section a ticket is in, disclose the total price of the ticket, including fees, and identify whether the ticket is being offered by the original seller, also known as the “primary seller,” or by a reseller.
The bill would also strengthen existing legislation, like the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act passed in 2016, which bans scalpers from using software to buy large quantities of tickets online.
Under the Fans First Act, steeper penalties for using bots would be set at thousands of dollars, requiring ticket sellers to provide proof of purchase within 24 hours and offer full refunds if an event is canceled.
Further changes in the proposed legislation include crackdowns on deceptive ticketing websites and requiring the U.S. Government Accountability Office to study the ticketing market and make recommendations for even more consumer protections.
Introducing the Fans First Act follows outspoken complaints from ticket buyers nationwide over hidden fees, record high prices, and systems that can’t cope with consumer demand, reaching critical mass during Ticketmaster’s pre-sale for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in 2022.
Global event promoter Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster and was subsequently sued by fans amidst the Taylor Swift debacle, has voiced its support for the Fans First Act, telling the New York Times that the company welcomes “legislation that brings positive reform to live event ticketing.”
EDM fans are no strangers to ticket headaches, either. Earlier this year, several festivals, including Bonnaroo and Electric Forest announced price hikes for 2024.
Featured image from Pexels.com.
