Missouri Leads Way in Battle to End Hidden Fees in Ticket Buying

We’ve all been there. You want to go see a particular artist, entertainer or sporting event and trying to purchase tickets online, you notice that once you are in the final stages of getting the tickets you see the final total is far more than the ticket price that was shown.

This is when we’re left with the decision to back out and let someone else purchase the seats that you’ve all but bought, or swallow hard and click “purchase”.  Neither scenario is what you want as a ticket buyer. It feels like a no-win situation.

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Missouri Senator Matt Schmitt ( R ) has co-sponsored the TICKET Act (S.1303) along with Senator Ed Markey (D) of Massachusetts. The proposed legislation would require ticket sellers to provide an itemized breakdown of all the fees attached to the ticket price for sporting events and concerts. Which would eliminate a surprise total price at the time of checkout.

Sen. Schmitt says he is aiming to bring an end to hidden fees and shady resale practices, while giving ticket buyers an upfront breakdown of everything that is being folded into the total price of the sale.

Making it out of committee, the TICKET Act now moves a step closer to becoming a law and will be taken up debated and voted on by the full US Senate.  But know that a version of the TICKET Act has been kicking around Capital Hill in the House and Senate for several years now.

Per a study from last fall, fees on ticket purchases added up to 28% of the total cost. Some studies have the percentage of fees amounting to over 50% of the total cost.

The Federal Trade Commission would ultimately be in charge of implementing and enforcing the legislation should it pass and be signed by the President.