New York ticketing legislation is a victory for fans
June 9, 2022
Media contact: National Consumers League – Katie Brown, katie@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832
Washington, DC— The National Consumers League (NCL) applauded the New York State Assembly for approving S.B. S9461, landmark consumer protection legislation that makes New York the first state to require all-in pricing of live event tickets. The bill also requires ticket brokers to disclose how much was originally paid for a ticket when they resell a ticket, prohibits the resale of tickets that were originally offered for free, and prohibits “print-at-home” fees.
“Fans in New York are the real winners from this bill,” said John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud at the National Consumers League. “Hidden fees and outrageous markups are some of consumers’ biggest pain points when it comes to buying tickets. While this bill will not solve every problem within the ticketing industry, getting rid of hidden fees addresses one of fans’ biggest complaints.”
A 2018 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that on average, consumers paid an extra 27% of the ticket’s original cost in fees. Media reporting has found instances where hidden fees were 78% of the fare’s starting price.
“Ticketing companies have long known that all-in pricing was a better solution for consumers, but they hesitated to provide it for fear of losing market share to competitors who hid their fees,” said Breyault. “That is the definition of market failure, which the New York bill fixes. We urge other states and the U.S. Congress to follow New York’s example and enact similar legislation.”
NCL applauded, in particular, the leadership of New York Senator James Skoufis whose investigative report on the ticketing industry was an important catalyst for this legislation.
“Senator Skoufis championed this important bill in the face of intense industry opposition and made sure it didn’t get watered down,” said Breyault. “Fans in New York will benefit immensely from his leadership.”
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About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.
