Sen. Cantwell introduces bill banning hidden fees for concert, sporting event tickets

Washingtonians could soon be paying less to get into concerts and sporting events.

On Tuesday, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced a bill aimed at stopping hidden ticket fees.

The Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act would require ticket sellers to show the total ticket price in all advertising, as well as to tell customers the base ticket cost — plus an itemized list of additional fees — before choosing a ticket.

“When families budget for a night at a ball game or to hear their favorite band, they shouldn’t have to worry about being surprised by hidden fees that suddenly raise the final cost of tickets well over the advertised price,” Cantwell said. “The TICKET Act requires sellers to disclose the real price of tickets up front. The price they say should be the price you pay.”

According to a release from Cantwell’s office, studies from the New York Attorney General’s office and the Government Accountability Office show that surprise fees can make up anywhere from 21% to 58% of the total cost of tickets.

The GAO also found that some consumers get confused when they aren’t aware that they’re buying tickets from a seller who doesn’t actually have possession of the ticket at the time of sale, which is known as “speculative ticketing.”

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