Class Action Lawsuit Launched Against Ticketmaster in Ontario - Are You Eligible?

[VintagePunk]

The Canadian Press: Lawsuit against Ticketmaster alleges conspiracy to resell tickets at higher prices

Lawsuit against Ticketmaster alleges conspiracy to resell tickets at higher prices

6 hours ago

TORONTO — Ticketmaster is diverting tickets to its online resale site TicketsNow as part of a "disgraceful" conspiracy to force customers to pay the highest possible price for sporting and entertainment events, a class-action lawsuit launched Monday alleges.

The resale practice violates anti-scalping provisions laid out in Ontario's Ticket Speculation Act, the statement of action filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice contends.

The defendants "wrongfully, unlawfully (and) maliciously conspired" to sell tickets at a higher price, states the suit, which seeks $500 million in damages for the conspiracy and $10 million for punitive damages.

"Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster Canada divert consumer traffic from their websites to the TicketsNow website," the court documents read.

"This practice is designed to ensure the sale of tickets at the highest possible price, and, in all cases, at a price substantially higher than the price at which the tickets were first issued."

The allegations have not been proven in court and Ticketmaster has not yet filed a statement of defence.

Ticketmaster purchased TicketsNow last year for US$265 million, and takes a slice of every ticket resold through TicketsNow in addition to the original service charges it levies when tickets are first sold.

The Vancouver-and Toronto-based law firms that launched the suit said people who were allegedly overcharged when they bought tickets from Ticketmaster or TicketsNow.com after February 2007 will be represented.

The suit was filed on behalf of Henryk Krajewski of Toronto, who in September 2008 purchased two tickets for a Smashing Pumpkins show at Massey Hall from TicketsNow for $533.65, the court documents state. The tickets would have cost about $130 if they had been available from Ticketmaster.

"Henryk pleads that the conduct of the defendants was high-handed, outrageous, reckless, wanton, entirely without care, deliberate, callous, disgraceful, wilful and motivated by economic considerations," reads the statement.

A Ticketmaster representative wasn't available Monday to respond to the suit.

In a recent interview with The Canadian Press, a company official said they do not divert tickets to TicketsNow or give the resale site any preferential access or treatment.

The company claimed it's providing consumers with a resale service that they want, and one that guarantees resale tickets are not counterfeit.

Last week, Bruce Springsteen said he was furious with Ticketmaster for redirecting his fans to TicketsNow, where tickets for his homecoming show at the New Jersey Meadowlands were being offered at hundreds of dollars above face value.

New Jersey's attorney general, Anne Milgram, said last week she had asked for more information about the company's sales practices after the state received more than 1,000 complaints. Milgram said redirecting ticket buyers to TicketsNow may violate the state's consumer fraud act.

Lawyer Jay Strosberg of Sutts, Strosberg LLP, one of the two firms behind the Ontario lawsuit, said there has been a lot of interest in the Ticketmaster-TicketsNow situation since Springsteen spoke out.

"Somebody has to address this type of conduct," Strosberg said.

"How the transaction happens, in the sense that the primary market actually also controls the secondary market, raises a lot of questions that deserve answers."

Strosberg said people deserve access to entertainment at reasonable prices.

"As far as we're concerned, this conduct may violate the Ticket Speculation Act."

Ticketmaster has said in response to prior complaints that the company's ticket-selling system is fair and doesn't violate the law.


The class action legal website:

Ticketmaster/TicketsNow class action

1. Sutts, Strosberg LLP (Windsor and Toronto) and Branch MacMaster (Vancouver) are counsel in a proposed class action against Ticketmaster, TicketsNow and two other Ticketmaster companies.

2. The action has been commenced on behalf of all persons in Ontario who purchased a ticket on or after February 9, 2007 from Ticketmaster or TicketsNow for an event in the Province of Ontario.

3. The plaintiff alleges that the defendants conspired to breach Ontario’s “anti-scalping” legislation.

4. The plaintiff also alleges that Ticketmaster has and continues to deliberately limit the number of tickets that are sold in the primary market at face price and instead, diverts tickets to the secondary market where they can be sold for amounts that exceed their face value.

5. The plaintiff seeks, among other thing, damages in an amount equal to the difference between the price the class members’ paid for the tickets and the face price of the tickets.

6. If you purchased a ticket from Ticketmaster or from TicketsNow for an event in Ontario, you may be able to participate in this action. To do so, please provide the information requested on the Communication page of this website or call one of the following lawyers:




Yay! I hope something comes of this and that they'll not only nail these bastards in Ontario, but that other jurisdictions will join in to stop their insanely shitty business practices.

 

[phillyfan26]

If Bruce hops on board this, I think Ticketmaster might be in some trouble.

 

[lazarus]

Once the Ticketmaster/LiveNation merger happens, won't they pretty much be able to invade Canada and enslave all of you?

 

[VintagePunk]

Once the Ticketmaster/LiveNation merger happens, won't they pretty much be able to invade Canada and enslave all of you?

If NSW and his minions can't manage an invasion, do you honestly think that TM has a chance? Merger or not?

I want every music fan in Ontario to know about this. I hate, hate, HATE them. Fight the power! Viva la revolucion!

If Bruce hops on board this, I think Ticketmaster might be in some trouble.

Pearl Jam took them on in the 90s, and that didn't really ever amount to much. This is a completely different issue, though, so maybe something will actually be done this time.

From wiki:

In 1994, the rock band Pearl Jam appealed to the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice, complaining that Ticketmaster adopted monopolistic practices and refused to lower service fees for the band's tickets. At the time, Pearl Jam wanted to keep ticket prices under $20 for their fans, with service charges no greater than $1.80. The company had exclusive contracts with many of the large venues in the United States and threatened to take legal action if those contracts were broken. The Justice Department ruled in favor of Ticketmaster, which culminated in the cancellation of the 1994 Pearl Jam tour. Four years later, Pearl Jam resumed their relationship with Ticketmaster. [9] [10] [11]

The ruling did not dispute Ticketmaster's monopoly, but claimed that venues (not bands) were the proper plaintiffs in an antitrust case[12]:

It is the Plaintiffs['] own allegations in the Complaint which show that they are not best suited to bring this claim against Ticketmaster. If a violation has occurred, the appropriate party is a venue or class of venues and promoters who are the ones who "consume" Ticketmaster's product; they are the ones who would suffer any direct loss if there is upracompetitive pricing in the fee contracts due to Ticketmaster's alleged monopoly power.

 

[VintagePunk]

I'm completely shocked that this thread sunk to page 2, when this should be a huge issue for all of us here, as music lovers and concert goers.

Anyway, here's more:

Ticketmaster Faces Scalping Lawsuit in Canada, Blames “Glitch” For Springsteen Debacle : Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily

Ticketmaster Faces Scalping Lawsuit in Canada, Blames “Glitch” For Springsteen Debacle

Hours before Live Nation and Ticketmaster revealed final merger plans, an Ontario man filed a class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster in Canada after he was maneuvered to the secondary ticket site TicketsNow while trying to buy seats for a Smashing Pumpkins show in November 2008. In a situation eerily similar to the one that plagued Bruce Springsteen fans last week, the $410 million lawsuit alleges Henry Krajewski was redirected to TicketsNow after failing to buy C$66.50 (Canadian dollars) Smashing Pumpkins tickets; he instead paid C$533.65 for a pair of tix using the TicketsNow site as prompted by Ticketmaster. Ontario is a province where there are laws against reselling tickets on the secondary market at more than their face value, according to Billboard.biz.

During today’s merger phone conference, Live Nation’s Michael Rapino spoke out against the suit, saying “class action lawsuits have no merit, it’s like chasing cars down the road.” Referring to Ticketmaster’s problems regarding redirects to TicketNow, he added, “There was actually a glitch in the system that had nothing to do with availability of the tickets, it had to do with Visa [credit cards] that couldn’t process the data and so it froze the system

“There were people who misunderstood what we did and we said if anyone who brought tickets at a higher price we’d make them good for that. There was no real controversy here,” he added. “The issue is that there is a secondary market. That has existed for a long time, now it’s called secondary, it used to be called scalpers, that is a reality. It has been the reality for a very long time and in which all sorts of practices go on. What Ticketmaster has done in entering the business is try to make it transparent and will continue to make it more and more transparent and make it secure.”

Rapino admitted that there have been some “hiccups” in the system, as Phish and Springsteen fans can attest, but “we are adjusting daily to make sure our system can handle our summer load and it will be business as usual.”

**********

Last night I was watching an hour-long phone in legal show, and this is the topic they were covering. The host read parts of Ontario's law, which is called The Ontario Ticket Speculation Act. From what he said, it sounds pretty clear that the resale of tickets above face value is illegal, period, and it's also illegal to purchase tickets with the intent of selling them at a value higher than face.

So, if this is the case, why are people so blatantly doing it? Not just shady guys standing outside of arenas, but legitimate businesses, Ticketmaster included?

One of the callers to the show last night said he's a "ticket broker," and has been for 30 years. He states that he charges taxes when selling tickets, which he remits to the government. So the government is complicit in this, too? Wtf? Am I missing something here? Can someone explain to me how this is possible? Here's a fun piece of trivia as told by the ticket broker mentioned last night: at a venue like the ACC in Toronto, with approx. 20,000 seats available, for an event like Springsteen, there are actually only 10,000 tickets available for public sale. Some go to seat holders who have first right of refusal, but what's happening to the rest? He implied that Ticketmaster has very shifty practices in place as far as ticket allotments go.

Also, in the above article, Ticketmaster makes it sounds as though these have been isolated incidents that have occurred for just a few ticket sales. From the people calling in last night, this isn't the case, this happens all the time.

I only went to a handful of concerts last year, and I don't remember ever being redirected to TicketsNow - unless it was something I logged into well after the tickets had gone on sale, in which case, I looked at the TicketsNow prices, laughed, and then closed the window. But a lot of the callers last night were saying that they were redirected to TicketsNow as soon as the sale started, and that some of them purchased the tickets at incredibly high prices, without realizing that they were paying over face. Just about everyone here is too smart to fall for that shit, but I guess there are some consumers out there who aren't all that ticket-savvy, and they've gotten screwed.

This whole thing just infuriates and baffles me.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

other than the $10 and more in "convenience charges" ( ) I haven't encountered anything like this using ticketbastard so far...

How is it convenient I ask?

 

[Lila64]

I skimmed the first few sentences, VP. Maybe there's not that many of you on the board in Ontario ? If this happened in America , maybe there'd be more interest?

\driveby

 

[corianderstem]

Honestly, I'm interested but just assume nothing will come of it, since Ticketmaster just keeps continuing on like the evil rat bastards they are.

I'd be thrilled if they are finally forced to change their practices.

 

[Dalton]

I don't even bother fighting Ticketmaster anymore. I just bring my money, lube, and a piece of leather to bite down on and get it over with.

 

[RedRocksU2]

When I heard that TM and LN were to merge.....

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

When at all possible I try to avoid Ticketmaster by buying directly through the box office. I wish I could do that all the time.

I am not sure how this merger is allowed to happen. Who is left as competition to Ticketmaster besides the black market?

 

[VintagePunk]

other than the $10 and more in "convenience charges" ( ) I haven't encountered anything like this using ticketbastard so far...

How is it convenient I ask?

Elfa, the lawyers are asking anyone who has purchased tickets to give their info, not just ones who purchased through TicketsNow. I think there's an element of the suit saying that their fees are unfair too, and there's a chance that they can get some of the fees going back to Feb '07 refunded.

I skimmed the first few sentences, VP. Maybe there's not that many of you on the board in Ontario ? If this happened in America , maybe there'd be more interest?

\driveby

Honestly, I'm interested but just assume nothing will come of it, since Ticketmaster just keeps continuing on like the evil rat bastards they are.

I'd be thrilled if they are finally forced to change their practices.

Lila, Cori, that's the whole thing. Hopefully this Ontario suit is the start of something larger. I saw on tv last night that in Canada, several other provinces are expected to file suits, and there is the whole Springsteen thing that happened in NY state that has gotten a lot of attention (I've seen NY politicians talking about it on tv), and I expect something will be filed there, too.

I just wish people would get more angry about this, you know? Maybe they really can do something about it, this time. Then again, maybe I'm just an eternal optimist.

I just bring my money, lube, and a piece of leather to bite down on and get it over with.

Isn't that just a typical Saturday night for you?

 

[Dalton]

It's that just a typical Saturday night for you?

I'm hurt by that, VP.


I do NOT fuck around on the Sabbath.

 

[Dalton]

I am not sure how this merger is allowed to happen. Who is left as competition to Ticketmaster besides the black market?

That would suck for Canada cause there are only 6-7 (depending on whether or not you count Jerome Ignla) black people in all of the frozen Tundra.

 

[RedRocksU2]

Hopefully this Ontario suit is the start of something larger.

Exactly.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

That would suck for Canada cause there are only 6-7 (depending on whether or not you count Jerome Ignla) black people in all of the frozen Tundra.

*rim shot*

 

[Dalton]

*rim shot*

I'll bite the belt, but I am not doing that. Sabbath or no.

 

[VintagePunk]

That would suck for Canada cause there are only 6-7 (depending on whether or not you count Jerome Ignla) black people in all of the frozen Tundra.

And they don't even talk to animals.

 

[Dalton]

And they don't even talk to animals.

That's probably why Whitey tried to enslave them and not us. You're just not going to fuck with a person if you think Brother Bear is going to get involved.

 

[anitram]

It sounds like a weak case to me. I've also never heard of the firm or the lawyer, and class action firms are a bit notorious and a few in TO handle the bulk of these sorts of suits. The scope of the suit coupled with the small firm size sounds a bit eyebrow-raising right off the bat.

I'd have to take a look at the statute, but it's possible some provision was violated on this one occasion (or two). That doesn't necessarily establish the sort of pattern that is implied by this suit.

There is also the issue of class action suits themselves. They've fallen on some hard times since the Danier Leather decision by the SCC where the court refused to exercise the discretion in spreading the costs among the claimants. So the guy who brought the suit here is either really PO'd or he thinks he's got a great chance of winning or he's broke and doesn't care, because there is precedent for him to get slapped with some ugly costs.

 

[VintagePunk]

It sounds like a weak case to me. I've also never heard of the firm or the lawyer, and class action firms are a bit notorious and a few in TO handle the bulk of these sorts of suits. The scope of the suit coupled with the small firm size sounds a bit eyebrow-raising right off the bat.

I'd have to take a look at the statute, but it's possible some provision was violated on this one occasion (or two). That doesn't necessarily establish the sort of pattern that is implied by this suit.

There is also the issue of class action suits themselves. They've fallen on some hard times since the Danier Leather decision by the SCC where the court refused to exercise the discretion in spreading the costs among the claimants. So the guy who brought the suit here is either really PO'd or he thinks he's got a great chance of winning or he's broke and doesn't care, because there is precedent for him to get slapped with some ugly costs.

What I'm curious about is how individuals and businesses can get away with this, period. The lawyer on the show only read a couple of lines of the statute last night, and as I said earlier, one stated that reselling tickets over face value is illegal, and the other said that it's illegal to purchase with the intent to resell at over face value. That sounded very black and white, but there has to be more to it for people to be getting away with it, right? Or are law enforcement and government just turning a blind eye?

I noticed the lawyer speaking on the program last night seemed very hesitant to come out and say that Ticketmaster is doing anything wrong, here. He kept stating over and over that there's not enough information.

 

[VintagePunk]

Apparently, a case can't be filed in British Columbia because there's no anti-scalping law, but the BC Solicitor General is looking into it. One of the lawyers has stated that the case probably will be expanded into Alberta and Manitoba though, where they do have anti-scalping laws. I really hope this gets as big as it sounds like it potentially could.

Ticketmaster lawsuit off limits for B.C. residents


Ticketmaster lawsuit off limits for B.C. residents

With no anti-scalping laws, B.C. can't follow $500-million Ontario class action suit

By Amy O'Brian, Vancouver SunFebruary 10, 2009



Angry ticket buyers in British Columbia will not be able to join a $500-million class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster, which has been reselling tickets at marked-up rates under the name TicketsNow.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in Ontario and is based on that province's anti-scalping legislation, which says it is illegal to sell tickets for more than face value.

But because B.C. has no similar legislation, people in this province have little recourse.

"I sympathize entirely," said Luciana Brasil, a Vancouver-based lawyer at Branch MacMaster, which often partners with Windsor-based firm, Sutts, Strosberg LLP. The two firms filed the suit.

"We're bringing the lawsuit based on very specific anti-scalping legislation, which exists in Ontario. We're probably also going to expand to Alberta and Manitoba, where they have the same type of legislation, but unfortunately in B.C. there is no law that prohibits scalping."

The lawsuit was filed in Toronto on behalf of Toronto resident Henryk Krajewski, who his lawyers say paid more than $500 for two tickets to see the Smashing Pumpkins after he tried to buy them for their $130 face value on Ticketmaster's main website. After being denied the tickets on Ticketmaster, he was redirected to TicketsNow, which resells tickets at marked-up prices, but is owned by Ticketmaster.

The lawsuit takes issue not only with Ticketmaster reselling its tickets at higher rates on TicketsNow, but also challenges the corporation on its practice of charging "convenience fees" on tickets.

"The law [in Ontario] says you cannot sell tickets for a price that exceeds the price at which the ticket was first issued," said Brasil.

"And in our view, because you have to pay those fees and charges to get the ticket, in reality, you're paying more for the ticket than the face value."

Valerie MacLean, executive director of the B.C. Crime Prevention Association, says scalping in this province puts the consumer at risk.

"It's a consumer protection issue. The tickets people purchase [from scalpers] may not be valid," she said.

"Why isn't scalping illegal in B.C.?"

A representative for B.C. Solicitor-General John van Dongen said Monday that the ministry is researching the issue of anti-scalping legislation.

Public outrage over Ticketmaster's practices is not new in Vancouver. The Vancouver Sun was flooded with complaints last September when tickets to the AC/DC concert at GM Place sold out in four minutes. And as fast as the $99 tickets disappeared from Ticketmaster's main site, they reappeared on TicketsNow for prices in the $500 range. A few days later, tickets were going for as much as $1,318 each.

Brasil suggests people angered by Ticketmaster's practices lobby their provincial politicians.

"I think people would be really upset with their politicians if it comes to a situation where a person who lives in Ontario is protected

. . . and then British Columbians still have to pay more," she said.

"I'd be surprised if people wouldn't be very upset about that and lobby vigorously."

 

[anitram]

I noticed the lawyer speaking on the program last night seemed very hesitant to come out and say that Ticketmaster is doing anything wrong, here. He kept stating over and over that there's not enough information.

Well that's the thing - it's hard to tell what their evidence is regarding TM's practices here.

I know almost nothing about scalping laws at all but from anecdotal evidence it sure seems like something that isn't enforced at all, or isn't enforced effectively.

 

[VintagePunk]

Well that's the thing - it's hard to tell what their evidence is regarding TM's practices here.

I know almost nothing about scalping laws at all but from anecdotal evidence it sure seems like something that isn't enforced at all, or isn't enforced effectively.

The way I understand it is this: the TicketsNow website is owned by TM. It's like eBay but without the auction. People post tickets that were originally bought through TM at whatever price they choose. When they're sold, TM charges the seller a fee (not sure if the buyer is charged a fee as well, but knowing TM's greed, I would imagine so). The buyer's money goes to TM, who holds it until the ticket seller mails the hard copy of their ticket in to TM. Then TM issues the buyer a new ticket, sends it out, and the seller receives their money from TM.

The way I understand the lawsuit, there are a couple of different issues in question:

-does Ticketmaster hold back tickets from event sales, and sell them on TicketsNow at an inflated price? They claim they don't.

-is TM acting fraudulently or deceptively in redirecting customers to the TicketsNow website, leaving many of them thinking that they're still on TM's site, and purchasing tickets at face? TM seems to be claiming that there have only been a few isolated incidents of this happening and that it's not a conflict of interest on their part.

-if Ontario (and other jurisdictions') laws really are black and white, and selling for face value is against the law, at the very least, TM is guilty of providing the means for people to scalp tickets, as well as profiting from the sales, by charging fees. Their role in this instance is almost akin to being a pimp. They claim that they're doing the consumer a favour by ensuring that any tickets they purchase are not fraudulent, and I suppose they are right about that. But if the act of selling tickets above face value is illegal to begin with, how can this be justified?

-finally, they seem to be questioning TMs right to charge fees over face value, period. I can't see them getting too far with this one. They've been charging the fees for years, and I don't think that's going to change.

 

[VintagePunk]

A second class action suit was filed against Ticketmaster, this time for the refund of the many and sundry fees that are attached to the purchase of their tickets.

The legal team has found that all Canadian suits against Ticketmaster must be filed in Ontario, so what they've determined is that since the suits are filed here, Ontario law is in effect, and people in other provinces can participate, even those who live in places that don't have anti-scalping laws.

Web fees, restrictions fuel second Ticketmaster suit


Web fees, restrictions fuel second Ticketmaster suit

By Sarah Schmidt, Canwest News ServiceFebruary 13, 2009


Ticketmaster is facing a second class-action lawsuit that could mean a small windfall for any Canadian who has coughed up cash to cover the extra fees and surcharges for a concert ticket.

The$250-million lawsuit, filed on Thursday in Ontario Superior Court on behalf of plaintiffs from across the country, comes just days after a $500-million action on behalf of Ontario residents, alleging Ticketmaster conspired to direct event tickets from Ticketmaster's lower priced portal in favour of its ticket brokering website, where tickets sell at premium prices.

The new case takes on the issue of extra fees and surcharges charged by Ticketmaster when customers purchase tickets to events through its website. In addition to a "convenience" fee of up to $14 for a single ticket, Ticketmaster charges a "building facility" charge and an order processing fee.

Ticketmaster also charges be-tween $1.75 and $2.50 for customers to print their tickets under its TicketFast service.

The Edmonton plaintiff in the case alleges these charges contravene Ontario's

ticket speculation law prohibiting the sale of a ticket above the i ssued price of the ticket. In two recent cases, he ended up being charged about$15 more than the listed ticket price after Ticketmaster tacked on extra fees.

The law firms of Sutts, Strosberg of Toronto and BranchMc-Master in Vancouver contend Ticketmaster customers outside Ontario are protected by this legislation because Ticketmaster's terms of use stipulates any disputes involving tickets for any event in Canada are "governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario."

Jay Strosberg, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, says the legal team sought to find a way to expand the original class-action suit to include non-Ontario residents after an overwhelming response to the initial $500-million suit, filed on Monday.

"We discovered that Ticketmaster requires all disputes regarding tickets to be litigated in Ontario," Strosberg said.

"That caused us to look very carefully at the terms of use on its website and they require all lawsuits to be brought in Ontario. The effect is that a person in British Columbia . . . by Ticketmaster's terms of use, is able to rely on Ontario law."

 

[VintagePunk]

Looks like they've come to an agreement in New Jersey regarding the Springsteen ticket fiasco. I'm still hoping they get nailed in Canada, far more harshly than they did in NJ.

Ticketmaster will stop linking customers to subsidiary - Breaking News From New Jersey - NJ.com


Ticketmaster will stop linking customers to subsidiary
by Peggy McGlone/The Star-Ledger
Monday February 23, 2009, 1:11 PM

Ticket giant Ticketmaster has reached a national settlement with the New Jersey Attorney General in which it agrees to stop linking customers to TicketsNow, a subsidiary agency that sells tickets at scalper's prices.

Attorney General Anne Milgram said Ticketmaster has agreed to run a lottery that will make 2,000 tickets available at face value to customers who complained about the way Ticketmaster handled the Feb. 2 sale of tickets to Bruce Springsteen's shows May 21 and 23 at the Izod Center at the Meadlowlands.

More than 2,200 fans complained to the Attorney General that they were redirected from the Tickemaster website to TicketsNow even though tickets were still available at face value.

Fans - more than 1,000 - who don't win a pair of tickets in the lottery will be given $100 gift certificates, Milgram said, and the ability to purchase tickets for an upcoming Springsteen concert in New Jersey.

The settlement requires Ticketmaster to pay $350,000 to the state for costs associated with the investigation.

It will also end a previous advertising arrangement in which customers Googling for Ticketmaster were automatically sent to the TicketsNow web site.

"This is a very significant agreement for consumers in New Jersey," said Milgram at a morning press conference at the Izod Center. "The settlement is national in scope and it changes fundamentally Ticketmaster's business practices."

 

[ShipOfFools]

I hate Ticketbastard, they screwed me when I got Rush tickets a few years back. I hope this lawsuit changes some things.

 

[Jive Turkey]

Somewhat encouraging news about TicketsNow

Not sure if this is the right forum for this, but I figured you guys would be interested. At least the Canadians anways.

Ontario attorney general to bring in legislation on ticket overpricing


Edit: Thanks for the move. Didnt see this one

 

[VintagePunk]

Ha, I just came to post the text of a couple of articles and saw this thread was bumped.

It seems that when enough consumers bitch to their elected representatives, things eventually start to get done.

Here's one from a few weeks ago:

Ontario wants same fair access to concert tickets as Americans: Bentley
Mar 2, 2009

TORONTO — Ticketmaster and its online resale site TicketsNow, which recently drew the ire of Bruce Springsteen and U.S. officials, will be probed to ensure people are paying a fair price for entertainment and sporting events, Ontario's attorney general said Monday.

The availability and pricing of tickets sold through the entertainment colossus will go under the Ontario government's microscope, a move the Consumer's Association of Canada called "long overdue."

"More and more Ontarians are increasingly concerned about fair access to tickets at a fair price," said Attorney General Chris Bentley. "I want to make sure Ontario families get fair access to tickets."

Last week, Ticketmaster agreed to pay the state of New Jersey $350,000 and to change the way it does business in the United States because of an outcry from Springsteen fans about TicketsNow, where tickets for his homecoming show were being offered at hundreds of dollars above face value.

Ticketmaster purchased TicketsNow last year for US$265 million, and takes a slice of every ticket resold through TicketsNow in addition to the original service charges it levies when tickets are first sold.

Complaints about Ticketmaster's ownership of the site were raised again last week after tickets went on sale for a Toronto concert by Canadian icon Leonard Cohen, Bentley said.

The minister's staff has been tasked with reviewing Ticketmaster's settlement with New Jersey, which included a promise to compensate Springsteen fans who had been redirected to TicketsNow.

"Certain changes were made in the United States to make sure that American consumers were being treated fairly (and) I want to make sure that Ontario consumers are being treated fairly," Bentley said.

"I've asked my ministry officials to explore this issue and to provide me with options."

Bentley wouldn't say what options his staff could recommend after reviewing the Ticketmaster situation.

It is illegal in Ontario to sell tickets above their face value.

Under the settlement with New Jersey, Ticketmaster agreed to remove the link to TicketsNow from its website in the United States, and has since removed the link to TicketsNow from its Canadian website as well.

Mel Fruitman of the Consumers Association of Canada welcomed the attorney general's probe, and said Ticketmaster should never have been allowed to redirect customers to TicketsNow, where tickets are often sold at many times their face value.

"That was just so egregious, flipping people automatically from Ticketmaster to TicketsNow, which is of course what Bruce Springsteen complained about," Fruitman said in an interview.

"As soon as they realized the bad PR they were getting out of that they discontinued (it), but the basic question remains: how do those tickets wind up on their resale site so quickly?"

Ticketmaster did not return calls for comment Monday, but in an email exchange with The Canadian Press the company insisted it did not give TicketsNow any preferential access to tickets.

"Ticketmaster goes to great lengths to ensure that members of the public have the most fair opportunity possible to buy tickets in the primary market," wrote Albert Lopez, vice-president of strategic communications.

"We intend to co-operate with the minister every step of the way, to get the best possible result for Ontario and the rest of Canada."

Fruitman said Ticketmaster has such a monopoly on the market that it actually sets the prices consumers pay for tickets to an event, not the performers people are paying to see.

"Increasingly it's the company that is selling the tickets that determines what the charge to the customer is going to be," he said.

There have been at least two class-action suits filed against Ticketmaster in Canada over its services fees and charges and over its ownership of TicketsNow, as well as a U.S. Justice Department probe of the company's planned merger with Live Nation.



And today's news:

Ontario law targets Ticketmaster
By THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO - Ontario is planning legislation to stop Ticketmaster from allowing tickets for Ontario concerts and other events to be resold on its TicketsNow website.

Premier Dalton McGuinty says the Ontario government tried to convince Ticketmaster to do what we he says is the right thing to protect ticket buyers.

However, McGuinty says the company wouldn't agree to stop letting tickets for Ontario events be sold on the resale site it owns, TicketsNow, so the province will have to introduce legislation.

He says the province was just asking Ticketmaster to be reasonable.

Ticketmaster is facing a growing backlash from consumers and artists opposed to its ownership of TicketsNow, where tickets are often sold for many times the face value.

Two class-action lawsuits have been filed in Canada against Ticketmaster and the federal Competition Bureau is also looking at the company's policies.

Ticketmaster reached a $350,000 settlement with the state of New Jersey and agreed to compensate fans to a Bruce Springsteen concert after The Boss fumed about prices on TicketsNow.




IMO, once they get this Ticketmaster mess cleaned up here, they need to start going after those who are blatantly selling tickets at inflated prices. I hope they don't stop at TM.