LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Taylor Swift concert ticket debacle two years ago is leading state and federal lawmakers to take aim at sales practices that they say are deceptive or predatory to music fans.
A main goal of venues and musicians is to outlaw speculative sales when a seller offers a ticket they do not yet have. In some cases, they ask thousands of dollars for a ticket that they can buy later from the primary seller for $200 or less and reap the profit.
In Maryland, a new law will make speculative ticket sales illegal starting July 1.
“This is a huge first step,” said Audrey Fix Schaefer, communications director for I.M.P., the company that operates Maryland’s Merriweather Post Pavilion and other venues that often receive complaints if consumers pay high prices or fail to receive promised tickets.
Arizona recently cleared similar legislation and nicknamed the measure the “Taylor Swift Act.” When fans were unable to snag Eras Tour tickets through Ticketmaster, many paid thousands to buy them through resellers, also known as secondary sellers, or were tricked by sites selling fake tickets.
Swift has not commented on the ticketing proposals, and a representative for the singer did not respond to a request for comment.
Nationwide, bills have been introduced in two dozen states to address event ticketing practices, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
In Illinois, a ban on speculative tickets has pᴀssed the state Senate. The Colorado House has cleared legislation to require more pricing transparency and a ban on websites designed to mimic legitimate ticket sales sites, which may trick consumers into thinking they are buying directly from a venue.
At the same time, venues and the world’s biggest musicians are pushing for federal reforms.