Competition Bureau Calls Out Ticketmaster

– Ticketmaster

An independent Canadian law enforcement agency has initiated action against Ticketmaster and Live Nation for using fees in a manner it deems deceptive.

The Competition  Bureau filed an application with the Competition Tribunal to end the practice of adding mandatory fees to ticket prices, which the agency refers to as “drip pricing.”

The agency said fees that encompass service fees, facility charges and order processing often inflate ticket prices more than 20 percent, and sometimes more than 65 percent. The bureau seeks to have the actual price, including what is currently broken out in fees, listed for consumers, and to end the practice of listing a price without fees.

The Bureau issued a statement last year as a forewarning that this action might be coming.

“In July, we called on ticket vendors to review their marketing practices,” Commissioner of Competition John Pecman said in a statement. “Today, we are filing an application with the Tribunal to stop Ticketmaster from making deceptive claims to consumers. Together, these actions send a strong signal to online retailers: consumers must have confidence that advertised prices are the ones they will pay.”

“Ticketmaster remains committed to getting tickets into the hands of fans and has long practiced transparency to enable informed purchasing decisions,” a Ticketmaster representative told Pollstar in a statement. “Ticketmaster continues to work closely with Provincial governments to enhance consumer protection and provide the best ticketing experience for fans.”

The Bureau is also seeking an administrative monetary penalty.