After significant customer pushback following Taylor Swift’s Eras tour ticket sales—and general disdain with add-on fees—Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation Entertainment announced a change.
Key Details
- Ticketmaster’s parent company Live Nation Entertainment announced changes to the company’s transparency regarding “junk fees.”
- After strong pushback from fans regarding add-on fees, President Joe Biden called for restrictions and regulations on these fees that pop up in the course of a ticket transaction, Reuters reports.
- On Thursday, President Joe Biden met with Live Nation, SeatGeek, and Airbnb—all of whom have been accused of excessive hidden fees.
- Live Nation promised to roll out upfront all-in pricing by September. This new system will provide customers with one total price.
Why it’s news
Ticketmaster received strong pushback from fans during the sale of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour tickets. After assuring Swift and fans that Ticketmaster could handle the demand, the company had to cancel the sale. Fans were also met with soaring prices and what they claimed were exorbitant surprise add-on fees.
The disaster led to questions from outraged customers and the Senate Judiciary Committee. President Biden has since made it a mission to crack down on excessive fees from companies like Ticketmaster and Airbnb.
Ticketmaster’s commitment to displaying all-in prices will give customers a clearer picture of their purchase. Customers may often be surprised by additional charges on top of the ticket price, such as venue-specific fees, Forbes reports.
Airbnb and SeatGeek have made similar commitments. Airbnb’s new policies will begin in December this year, and SeatGeek’s policy will take effect this summer.
Backing up a bit
In November, Swift’s fans were surprised by hundreds of dollars in fees at the Ticketmaster checkout. Hidden fees pushed the final cost of Swift’s tickets higher than many fans wanted to pay. After Ticketmaster canceled the public sale, fans who got a ticket began reselling them for exorbitant prices. In at least one instance, a ticket was listed for $92,000, Forbes reports.
Since the debacle, the Department of Justice has started an antitrust investigation into Live Nation. Critics argue that the company has a monopoly on concert ticket sales.
Some lawmakers are taking things a step further with “Taylor Swift bills” in the Massachusetts statehouse. These laws would require ticket sellers to disclose the total cost of a ticket, including related fees, before customers make a purchase. The Massachusetts bill would also limit Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing model, Forbes reports.