![\"Entertainment](\"https:\/\/www.digitalmusicnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/blumenthal-demands-ftc-action-against-deceptive-ticketing-practices-1024x576.png\" "\\"Entertainment\\"")
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Photo Credit: US Senator Richard Blumenthal<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Entertainment Senator Blumenthal hosted a press event at an independent venue to formally demand FTC action to address deceptive ticketing practices.<\/h2>\n
Senator Richard Blumenthal hosted a press event at Hartford, Connecticut\u2019s Infinity Music Hall to highlight the impact of predatory ticketing practices on local economics and live entertainment. To that end, he released an open letter to the FTC<\/a>, demanding an investigation into deceptive ticketing practices and enforcement of the BOTS Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n In response, the Fix the Tix Coalition<\/a> and the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA<\/a>) released a statement showing their support for Senator Blumenthal\u2019s request:<\/p>\n \u201cSenator Blumenthal\u2019s letter to the FTC is a much-needed step in holding predatory ticket brokers and resale platforms accountable,\u201d said Stephen Parker, Executive Director of NIVA. \u201cBy hosting this event at Infinity Music Hall, Senator Blumenthal underscores the critical role independent venues play in this country\u2019s local economies and consumers\u2019 vulnerabilities to these exploitative practices. Professional resellers siphon money away from small businesses, depriving venues and artists of essential revenue, and fans of basic consumer protections.\u201d<\/p>\n NIVA recognizes these predatory tactics are not insulated to a few stages or even a few states; they are pervasive in nearly every venue across the country. Using bots to buy up tickets en masse is already illegal, yet a federal law prohibiting the use of bots to purchase tickets has only been enforced once since it was enacted in 2016.<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope today\u2019s action causes the FTC to finally enforce the BOTS Act after years of inaction and sparks a wave of action from state legislators to enforce stronger ticketing protections for consumers nationwide,\u201d said Parker.<\/p>\n Ticket Hoarding and Bots<\/strong> \u2014 Professional predatory resellers buy up tickets from venues\u2019 primary market sales and immediately list them on the secondary market<\/a> with exorbitant markups, with no intention of attending shows. This makes it nearly impossible for true fans of live entertainment to purchase tickets at the reasonable face value price that venues set. Predatory secondary sellers also use illegal botting software<\/a> to optimize their ticket hoarding.<\/p>\n Deceptive Advertising through SEO and Stolen Imagery and IP<\/strong> \u2014 Secondary reseller platforms leverage their capital to secure sponsored Search Engine Optimization (SEO) placement, causing their sites to appear before primary market venues on search engines like Google. This misleads consumers into buying more expensive tickets, as it buries the official site where cheaper primary tickets are available. Secondary sites also use venue, artist, and event imagery and intellectual property to deceive consumers into thinking they represent the original sellers.<\/p>\n Deceptive Advertising by Driving False Demand<\/strong> \u2014 Through deceptive disclosures, secondary reseller platforms create an illusion of high demand, pressuring consumers to make hasty purchases by providing misleading information about the availability of tickets on the primary market.<\/p>\n Price Gouging<\/strong> \u2014 Predatory secondary resellers list tickets for high rates while cheaper tickets are still available on the primary market.<\/p>\n \u201cThese tactics not only frustrate concertgoers but also undermine the trust and financial stability that venues like ours rely on to thrive. Hosting today\u2019s event with Senator Blumenthal gives us hope that real action is finally being taken to protect both venues and consumers from these practices. It\u2019s time for meaningful reform that brings fairness and transparency back to the ticketing process.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\nIn addition, a study conducted by Connecticut independent venues and promoters over the last two months discovered widespread use of deceptive and fraudulent practices by ticket brokers and major resale platforms. Such tactics included:<\/h4>\n
\u201cAt Infinity Music Hall, we\u2019ve seen firsthand how deceptive ticketing practices \u2014 like bots snatching up tickets and speculative sales \u2014 harm both fans and businesses,\u201d said Tyler Grill, CEO and Managing Partner of Infinity Music Hall.<\/h4>\n