Minnesota State Sen. Gerlach Announces Hearing on Ticketing Rights Legislation

01/30/2012

Fan Freedom Project Calls on Legislators to Support S.F. 425

(January 27, 2012 – Minneapolis) – Minnesota State Sen. Chris Gerlach announced a hearing on S.F. 425, a bill to guarantee consumers’ property rights in the live-event ticket market.   The Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee will discuss S.F. 425 on February 1 at 10:30am.

S.F. 425 guarantees that consumers own the tickets they purchase, and that their ownership rights cannot be gutted by restrictive ticketing practices. Artists, venues and ticket companies are increasingly pushing restrictive tickets, often in the form of non-transferable digital tickets such as those being sold nationwide, this morning, for Bruce Springsteen concerts in Washington, D.C., Boston, New Jersey and Detroit.

“By ensuring that consumers own the tickets they buy, and can freely give them to family members or friends or re-sell them if they choose S.F. 425 will protect Minnesota citizens from losing 100% of their money if business or family obligations require them to miss an event that they planned to attend,” said Jon Potter, President of the Fan Freedom Project, a consumer advocacy and education group.  “Ticket buyers in New Jersey, Boston, Detroit and Washington who buy nontransferable paperless tickets will lose hundreds of dollars if their babysitter gets sick or business calls them out of town.  Minnesota consumers deserve better.”

Restrictive tickets are particularly bad for season ticket holders, who invest thousands of dollars in a team before the season begins and who commonly give away and re-sell a significant number of tickets every season.

Added Chris Jensen, a University of Minnesota Gopher Football season ticket owner: “Ticketmaster, teams and venues do not have the right to tell me that I can’t give my tickets away to family, friends or clients, or sell tickets for the games I can’t attend. Minnesota season ticket holders need to stand up for their rights and tell their legislators to support Sen. Gerlach’s bill.”

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