Lawmakers seeking information from Ticketmaster over Taylor Swift debacle
Jack Birle
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A bipartisan group of lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee is expressing worry over “potentially unfair or deceptive practices” by Ticketmaster for their handling of the sale of tickets to Taylor Swift‘s Eras concert tour.
The lawmakers sent a letter to Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, requesting information from the company regarding the presale process.
TAYLOR SWIFT FANS WAGE GREAT WAR AGAINST TICKETMASTER OVER TICKET SALE DISASTER
“To better understand the obstacles consumers have recently faced and to hear an update on actions the company has taken to maximize the experiences of average consumers, we request a Committee staff briefing with your company. This should include a discussion on additional fees, insider reserves, dynamic pricing, restrictions on transferability, limited ticket availability, speculative ticketing, verified fan program requirements, and scalping by bots and other scammers,” the letter said.
The lawmakers who jointly signed on to the letter included Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) and the committee’s ranking member, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), along with Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL).
In the letter, the lawmakers also point out their earlier concerns on Ticketmaster’s business practices, including a 2019 investigation into the company’s alleged deceptive and unfair practices, but explain their heightened interest in the company’s business practices comes from the disastrous presale of tickets to the music superstar’s latest tour.
“The recent pre-sale ticketing process for Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras tour — in which millions of fans endured delays, lockouts, and competition with aggressive scammers, scalpers, and bots — raises concerns over the potential unfair and deceptive practices that face consumers and eventgoers,” the letter says.
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Fans of the music icon were upset with the ticket sales giant after the presale resulted in people being unable to purchase tickets, while scalpers were still able to get tickets and sell them for astronomical markups. Ticketmaster also canceled its general public sale after selling out of inventory during presales, further frustrating fans of the singer. As a result, fans have filed lawsuits against Ticketmaster for the bungled process.