Today, Attorney General Mike Hilgers joins the Federal Trade Commission in filing a lawsuit against Ticketmaster, L.L.C., and its parent company Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (“Ticketmaster”) to put a stop to deceptive pricing that hurts both performers and fans alike.
The lawsuit alleges Ticketmaster violated state and federal law regarding its ticket sales practices in three ways:
1. Bait & Switch Pricing and Deceptive Fees: Despite publicly asserting that ticket platforms should employ “all-in pricing,” where “the first price the consumer sees is the price the consumer pays,” for years, Ticketmaster has displayed deceptively low ticket prices to consumers, only to ultimately charge much more. Ticketmaster tacks on substantial mandatory fees not included in the initial list price. These mandatory fees can increase the ticket cost by 30% or more.
2. Deceptive Ticket Limit Practices: Ticket limits help performers ensure everyday fans can get access to affordable tickets by preventing large amounts of tickets from being bought and resold at higher prices. But while Ticketmaster claims to impose strict ticket limits, that is not its practice. Ticketmaster routinely allows ticket brokers to exceed ticket limits. For years, Ticketmaster has allowed brokers to buy large amounts of tickets, including thousands to a single event. These practices deprive ordinary fans of access to lower-priced tickets.
3. BOTS Act Violations: The Better Online Ticket Sales Act regulates ticket sales, including prohibitions on bot-buying, ticket limit circumvention, and other ticket-buying practices that unfairly and unlawfully increase ticket prices for consumers. Ticketmaster knowingly allows and sometimes even encourages violations of its purchasing rules and protections, and allows brokers to post those tickets for resale on Ticketmaster to boost profits. Ticketmaster even admits to turning a blind eye to brokers’ mass ticket purchases as a matter of policy.
Performers want their fans to be able to afford to attend their shows. Fans want to be able to buy tickets without unlawful resale schemes or hidden fees driving up prices. State and federal laws protect against such ticket selling practices that unfairly prevent fans from accessing affordable tickets. The lawsuit alleges that Ticketmaster violated these state and federal legal protections. It also alleges Ticketmaster profited from ignoring the law.
“We are proud to join the Federal Trade Commission and our sister states in protecting performers and fans from unlawful practices that drive up ticket prices. Consumers deserve access to fair ticket prices from the largest ticket company in America. We are grateful to our federal partners for the opportunity to join them in standing up for performers and fans,” stated Attorney General Mike Hilgers.
The lawsuit seeks to put a stop to Ticketmaster’s unlawful practices, impose penalties for violating state laws, and provide all other available monetary relief.
