US Looking To Ban Hidden Concert Ticket Fees - Should Australia Follow Suit?

Hidden fees on concert tickets are never a welcome surprise, but by the time a music fan is fronted with such a cost it’s usually right at the end of checking out and most people won’t abandon a gig for the sake of proving a point.

With memes about consumers being hit with last-minute checkout costs seemingly making a comeback as concerts do, one state in the US is taking a stand.

As Billboard reports, a pending New York State law would require ticket outlets to disclose the “all-in” price on the initial ticket listing, instead of advertising one price and then adding fees throughout the checkout process.

The law would also require the “all-in” price to be displayed “in a clear and conspicuous manner”.

The bill has passed the state senate and is now with New York Governor Kathy Hochul to sign.

“I agree with the statement that people should pay, and will pay, whatever they want to pay for a ticket, but they should know what that is,” Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee chair James Skoufis told Billboard.

Despite meaning an overhaul of their current system, Ticketmaster US welcomed the proposed bill, with North American managing director Marla Ostroff noting they were “supportive of industry-wide reforms and believe even more can be done to aid artists in delivering tickets to fans at their set price points”.

It’s expected to help alleviate some of the deceitful tactics that are often employed by the re-sale market.

Only last month it was announced that Viagogo would be forced to pay a $7 million penalty for misleading Australian consumers.

Among other things, the Federal Court found that the Viagogo website from 1 May 2017 to 26 June 2017 “drew consumers in with a headline price but failed to sufficiently disclose additional fees or specify a single price for tickets, including a 27.6 per cent booking fee which applied to most tickets”, as noted by the ACCC.

“Viagogo misled music lovers, sporting fans and other consumers who were hoping to get tickets to a special event,” ACCC Commissioner Liza Carver said.

“Consumers were drawn in by a headline price and were often unaware of the significant fees charged by Viagogo until very late in the booking process when they were already invested in attending the event.”

In a statement provided to The Music at the time, Viagogo said it was “disappointed with the Federal Court’s ruling” but remained “committed to continuing to provide choice for consumers to access tickets and attend events”.