Latest news with #ticketfees
The Independent
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Ticketmaster promises to display extra fees more clearly
Ticketmaster has pledged to display all-in ticket pricing upfront as a new federal rule cracking down on hidden fees comes into effect. The Biden administration 's ban on so-called "junk fees" began Monday, targeting industries like ticketing, hospitality, and vacation rentals. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the rule in December, requiring businesses to disclose processing, cleaning, and other supplementary charges upfront. Ticketmaster, frequently criticized for its opaque pricing practices, confirmed it would comply with the new regulation and expressed agreement with the FTC's action. 'Ticketmaster has long advocated for all-in pricing to become the nationwide standard so fans can easily compare prices across all ticketing sites,' Ticketmaster Chief Operating Officer Michael Wichser said in a statement. Ticketmaster said it will also tell customers where they are in line when they log in to buy tickets to an event. It will also give real-time updates to customers whose wait times exceed 30 minutes, letting them know ticket price ranges, availability and whether new event dates have been added. Ticketmaster, which is owned by Beverly Hills, California-based concert promoter Live Nation, is the world's largest ticket seller, processing 500 million tickets each year in more than 30 countries. Around 70% of tickets for major concert venues in the U.S. are sold through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster said Monday's changes would bring North America in line with the rest of the world, where full ticket prices typically are displayed as soon as customers start shopping. SeatGeek, a platform for buying and selling original and resale tickets, said it also updated its features Monday to make 'all-in pricing the default' setting. 'Fans deserve pricing that's clear from the start,' said SeatGeek CEO Jack Groetzinger said. "We're proud to roll this out across our platform and encouraged to see the industry move in this direction.' Ticketmaster has been in the hot seat since 2022, when its site crashed during a presale event for Taylor Swift's upcoming stadium tour. The company said its site was overwhelmed by both fans and attacks from bots, which were posing as consumers in order to scoop up tickets and sell them on secondary sites. Thousands of people lost tickets after waiting for hours in an online queue. Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Ticketmaster and Live Nation, accusing them of running an illegal monopoly that drives up U.S. ticket prices and asking a court to break them up. That case is ongoing. President Donald Trump is also eyeing the industry. In March, he signed an executive order that he said would help curb ticket scalping and bring 'commonsense' changes to the way live events are priced. Under the order, the FTC must ensure 'price transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchase process' and take enforcement to prevent unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive conduct. 'Anyone who's bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years — no matter what your politics are — knows that it's a conundrum,' said Kid Rock, who joined Trump in the Oval Office as Trump signed the order.
ABC News
13-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Live Nation
Four Corners: On August 14, 2024 Four Corners reported music promotor, Live Nation operates and owns Anita's Theatre in Wollongong. Live Nation operates but does not own Anita's Theatre. The program also presented a case study of $65+ tickets at the Palais Theatre and listed fees totalling around $30 to $40. Because the insurance fee cannot apply to resale tickets, the fees listed total to around $30, not around $30 to $40 as reported. However, the variable reseller fee (part of the transaction fee for resale tickets) can be higher than was used in the case study, which can push the total fees above $30.
