TICKET Act

Summary#

This bill requires sellers and resale platforms to show the full ticket price and an itemized list of fees when they offer an event ticket for sale. It bans selling or advertising tickets that the seller does not actually have ("speculative ticketing"), with a narrow allowance for services that try to obtain tickets for a buyer if they do not call those services "tickets" and clearly tell buyers the purchase does not guarantee a ticket. The bill also requires clear disclosures when a sale is a resale, stops sellers from claiming an "official" affiliation with a venue, team, or artist unless there is a written partnership, and sets rules for refunds and replacements when events are canceled or postponed. Many provisions take effect 180 days after enactment. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would enforce the rules and treat violations as unfair or deceptive acts; the FTC must also report on enforcement of the Better Online Ticket Sales Act of 2016 within 6 months.

What it means for you#

• If you buy an event ticket covered by the bill, you should see the total ticket price (base price plus fees) clearly when the ticket is first shown and throughout checkout. You should also be able to see an itemized list of fees before you finish buying.
• Sellers and resale sites must tell you when a ticket is a resale and must explain their refund or guarantee policy and how to get a refund before you complete a purchase.
• If an event is canceled, purchasers must receive a full refund. If an event is postponed, sellers must offer a replacement ticket for events rescheduled within 6 months or, if postponed more than 6 months, give the purchaser a choice of a full refund or a replacement ticket once rescheduled.
• Sellers may not sell tickets they do not possess. Businesses that offer to try to get tickets on a buyer's behalf may offer that as a separate service only if they clearly label it and do not present it as a ticket.

Expenses#

No publicly available information about costs or budgetary effects is included in the bill text or metadata. The bill assigns enforcement to the FTC under its existing authorities but does not include cost estimates.

Proponents' View#

The text of the bill states its purpose: to require sellers to give consumers comprehensive price and fee information and to prohibit speculative ticketing. The bill’s provisions are written to increase price transparency, require clear refund and guarantee disclosures, and prevent sellers from advertising tickets they do not hold.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information about opposition views or arguments is included in the bill text or metadata.