Fans of Taylor Swift were shocked last year when trying to buy tickets for her tour on Ticketmaster and the ticket sale cancelled.
Now, lawmakers have introduced legislation that aims to regulate what they call the the “badly corrupted live events ticket marketplace,” – it’s called the “BOSS and SWIFT Act” after Swift and rock icon Bruce Springsteen, known as “The Boss.”
Those who tried to get tickets for his latest tour were left with sticker shock when they saw prices go up to $5,000 per seat on Ticketmaster. From Springsteen’s home state, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.) introduced the new legislation will with Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) May 25.
“The legislation is named in honor of New Jersey hero Bruce Springsteen and fans of Taylor Swift who were blocked when trying to buy concert passes during the recent ticketing fiasco,” said a press release about the legislation. “The revised plan specifically addresses issues including hidden fees, on-sale transparency, buyer protections, speculative tickets, and deceptive white label websites.”
Late last year, when Ticketmaster cancelled the sale of Swift tickets, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) joined Audacy’s WCCO Radio to discuss it.
“This is unbelievable because LiveNation and Ticketmaster merged, and I expressed a lot of concerns about it at the time when they were allowed to merge way back in 2010,” she said. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has also referred to Ticketmaster as a “monopoly.”
Pascrell and Pallone first offered legislation regulating ticket sales back in 2009, said the recent press release. New Jersey Springsteen fans flooded congressional offices with complaints about inflated prices for tickets at that time.
“For too long, millions of American fans have been unable to get a fair shake for their tickets and cry out for relief,” said Pascrell. “The recent experience of Taylor Swift fans being locked out of her tour is not new and Swifties are just the latest victims of Ticketmaster’s policies and a broken market. For decades, the ticket market has been the Wild West: mammoth, opaque, speculative, and brutally unfair. A fan shouldn’t have to sell a kidney or mortgage a house to see their favorite performer or team.”
If the BOSS and SWIFT Act is passed as-is, it would include: requirements on ticket sellers such as mandatory all-in pricing and clear disclosure of refund policies, transparency about the total number and cost of tickets, preserving ticket transferability, and protections for fans selling tickets. It also seeks to clamp “down on unauthorized speculative ticket sales,” protect consumers who receive tickets that do not match the description of those purchased and more.
“Consumers deserve to enjoy their favorite artists and live entertainment without breaking the bank. It’s past time to update the ticket marketplace to ensure it’s fair, transparent, and working for ticket buyers – not Ticketmaster or resellers,” said Pallone. “That’s why I’m proud to be an original co-sponsor of Rep. Pascrell’s BOSS and SWIFT Act, which will help protect consumers when they buy tickets from ticket sellers and resellers.”
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