WASHINGTON – The National Consumers League (NCL) joined with the Fan Freedom Project today to issue a consumer alert about restrictive paperless ticket policies in effect for the April 13 Miranda Lambert concert at the Verizon Arena in Little Rock.

According to Ticketmaster’s website, some tickets for the April 13 show are paperless, requiring fans to present “the CREDIT CARD used to purchase and valid photo ID with matching information” at the venue to gain admittance. Also, “Gift Cards may NOT be used to purchase Paperless Tickets” and the “Entire party MUST enter the venue at the same time.”

“Paperless tickets are non-transferable, but we believe fans own the tickets they purchase and should be able to sell or give their tickets how, when and where they choose,” said FFP Consumer Advocate Elizabeth Owen. “These restrictive paperless tickets are a thorn in the side of fans, especially those who buy tickets and then can’t attend because their plans change at the last minute. That’s not fair to consumers.”

John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud at the NCL added, “We believe that restrictive ticketing practices are unacceptable.  NCL, along with the Fan Freedom Project, is working to protect ticket-buyers from these anti-consumer policies.  Fans should be sure to read the fine print before they purchase a ticket. We don’t want anyone to waste their hard earned money because they were not aware of restrictions like these.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

WASHINGTON – Consumer Action joined with the Fan Freedom Project today to issue a consumer alert about restrictive ticketing policies in effect for the April 9 Garbage concert at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles.

Following a rapid sell-out for the April 10 show, Garbage announced an additional show on April 9 featuring a two-ticket limit and a notice that all tickets are will-call only. Will-call only tickets are non-transferable and require fans to use their credit card and ID to pick up tickets at the venue the night of the show. Tickets for the April 9 show go on sale Saturday, February 11 at 10:00 AM.

“It’s ‘buyer beware’ for fans planning to purchase tickets for this show,” said FFP Consumer Advocate Elizabeth Owen. “There is a strict two-ticket limit, so if you buy tickets on behalf of friends or family from your computer, Ticketmaster will likely cancel both orders, even if they are purchased with different credit cards. And will-call only tickets are non-transferable. If your plans change, there is no way to sell or even give away your ticket. Forget about buying tickets as a gift unless you plan on attending the show as well.”

“Fans should be very cautious when they buy tickets for this concert,” added Linda Sherry, Director of National Priorities at Consumer Action. “Most fans have not experienced the problems associated with such restrictive ticketing policies. We don’t want any fan to arrive at El Rey only to find these unfair policies shut them out of the concert.”

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About Consumer Action

Consumer Action has been a champion of underrepresented consumers nationwide since 1971. A nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, Consumer Action focuses on financial education that empowers low to moderate income and limited-English-speaking consumers to financially prosper. Our diverse staff provides expert commentary on key consumer issues supported by solid data. We offer access to victim testimony, as well as expertise on current financial issues affecting low to moderate income and limited-English-speaking consumers.

Minneapolis, Minn. – The Fan Freedom Project today issued a consumer alert about restrictive ticketing policies in effect for the May 17th Eric Church concert at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis.

Because of these policies, which have been rarely used in Minnesota, tickets for many of the concert’s best seats are not transferable. The restrictions ban fans from buying tickets as gifts or transferring them to other people should they not be able to attend the show. This policy applies to the best sections in the lower bowl closest to the stage, according to information obtained from Eric Church’s own website. Additionally, to get into the concert, fans will have to show the exact credit card used to purchase the tickets, and a government issued photo I.D. with matching information.

“Fans should be very cautious when they choose their seats for this concert,” said Becky Bernard, a Minnesota fan.  “Fans need to educate themselves about what these ticket restrictions mean before they lose their money. A large portion of the Eric Church tickets are not transferable at all, which means if a fan can not make it to the show, they can not sell their tickets or even give them away to a friend.”

Tickets for the Target Center show are available to the general public starting Saturday, February 11^th, at ten a.m.

“The devil is in the details,” said FFP Consumer Advocate Elizabeth Owen. “If you are buying tickets to this show as a gift, or with a group of friends, you may get an unpleasant surprise at the gate when one of your friends is late and you all have to wait, or if the person who purchased your tickets is sick and can’t make it and none of you can get in.”

The Fan Freedom Project’s Six Tips for Buying Tickets are:

1.  Read the Fine Print: Just because you bought the ticket doesn’t mean you are free to share or give away those tickets however you like. Ticketmaster is selling some seats to shows in Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, Michigan and California using restricted paperless tickets (see below), which are non-transferable. These tickets require buyers to present their purchasing credit card and photo ID at the venue to gain admittance, instead of receiving a physical ticket ahead of time. If you are buying tickets to go with group of friends or family, you have to wait for your whole party to arrive to enter instead of distributing the tickets in advance and meeting at your seats.

And since paperless tickets are non-transferable, forget about giving them as a gift. Ticketmaster recommends that you buy gift tickets with the recipient’s credit card and reimburse them. For a list of artists and sports teams that use restricted tickets, please visit the Fan Freedom Project’s FAQ.

2.  Use Reliable Sellers: Beware of fly-by-night ticket sellers. If you’re unsure whether a company is legitimate, check its ratings with the Better Business Bureau and on consumer review sites such as Yelp! If purchasing from a ticket broker, check to see if they are members of the National Association of Ticket Brokers, whose Code of Ethics requires members to adhere to basic consumer protections.

3.  Check Guarantees: Check your ticket vendor’s guarantee policy. For example, websites like Stub Hub, TicketsNow, Ace Tickets and All-Shows guarantee every ticket sold on their sites, and will replace them or provide refunds to consumers if they receive the wrong tickets, their tickets are invalid or an event is cancelled. Craigslist and other online classifieds sites do not offer such guarantees; it’s “buyer beware” when shopping this way.

4.  Pay Attention to URLs: When buying tickets directly from a venue, check the website’s URL to ensure that an imposter doesn’t dupe you. For example, Katy Perry fans were recently tricked by a website that sold tickets to a free concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Remember, even if a website looks like the official site, it may be bogus.

5.  Know the Rules: Some venues limit the number of tickets you can buy. Most stops on the Wrecking Ball tour feature a two-ticket per customer limit for general admission tickets, a four-ticket limit in paperless sections, and a six-ticket limit elsewhere.

A Radiohead fan recently reported purchasing a block of tickets to share with friends. She ordered more tickets as a wedding gift, but found herself over the four-ticket max that the venue set for the show. She is now fighting with the ticket company and venue, as they are threatening to cancel her tickets.

6.  Buy with a Credit Card: Regardless of where you buy tickets, be sure to use a credit card so you can dispute any unfair or unauthorized charges. Before entering your credit card information online, be sure the site has “https://” at the beginning of the website address. This means the site is encrypted and safer for use.

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In what may be the company’s most hair-pulling policy to date, Ticketmaster now tracks your IP address and automatically cancels purchases it believes violate its “two tickets per household” policy — without notifying unsuspecting customers, and even when tickets are purchased under different names, billing addresses, and credit cards.

From a frustrated fan on the  Consumerist,

“I had two different [Ticketmaster employees] tell me on the phone that they have “people” check all the details for purchases (credit card information, billing addresses, names, account names, and IP addresses) and that it was my fault it was from the same IP address, despite that the rule was only two tickets per HOUSEHOLD. It was clearly two different people and two different billing addresses, but Ticketmaster refused to admit wrong and/or make it right by arranging seats with the venue for my friends.”

Ticketmaster has an obligation to protect fans from bots that jump the line, but this new policy goes far beyond ensuring fair and equitable access to live event tickets.

Fan Freedom Project (FFP) President Jon Potter today issued the following statement regarding the Minnesota House Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee and the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee votes passing H.F. 657 and S.F. 425, legislation that protects fans’ rights to share and sell live event tickets.

“We commend Senator Chris Gerlach and Representative Joe Hoppe for leading on this issue, and applaud the House Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee and the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee for passing this important legislation.

“Minnesota sports and music fans are nearly unanimous in their strong belief that they own the tickets that they buy, and that ownership rights include the freedom and choice to share, give away or re-sell their tickets as they choose, not as Ticketmaster or event producers direct. Minnesota fans should never have to lose hundreds of dollars they spent on tickets because their plans change and they can no longer attend a game or show.

“We call on the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee to quickly approve this legislation on behalf of Minnesota’s music and sports fans, and send it to the full House and Senate for approval.”

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In a letter to the New York Times, Rapino completely misses the mark on paperless ticketing and makes it crystal clear that fans are nothing more than a medium to maximize his quarterly profits.  The two restrictive ticket “success” stories he used to defend his position illustrate just how out of touch Rapino is:

“At their request, paperless tickets have been used by artists from Radiohead to Miley Cyrus who are passionate about taking care of their fans.”

Funny he should mention those two examples. We just happen to have video of angry Radiohead fans who were frustrated with restrictive tickets, and Miley Cyrus fans encountered significant difficulties when her tour went paperless in 2009.

We all agree that putting good tickets in the hands of fans is important, but restrictive tickets are not the answer.  The reality is that they create more problems than they solve. Fans should be able to transfer tickets freely. No matter what Ticketmaster says.

(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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WASHINGTON – Elizabeth Owen, consumer advocate with the Fan Freedom Project, today issued a consumer alert for Boston Red Sox fans planning to buy upper-bleacher tickets for the 2012 season. According to the Red Sox, upper-bleacher tickets for 30 games, April 13, April 20-22, June 8-10, June 22-24, July 6-8, July 16-19, July 20-22, August 3-5, August 24-26, September 11-13, will be restrictive tickets, which limit ticket buyers’ ability to transfer, resell, or even give away tickets.

“The Red Sox are one of the most popular and iconic American sports teams of all time, but fans need to be aware of this change to their tickets. The devil is in the details, and if you are buying tickets as a gift, or if you find out you can’t attend the game at the last minute, you may be surprised to learn that you are stuck with the ticket.

“Fans should be sure to read the fine print. Upper-bleacher seats are restricted tickets, which require buyers to present their purchasing credit card and photo ID at the venue to gain admittance, instead of receiving a physical ticket ahead of time. If you are buying tickets to go with group of friends or family, you have to wait for your whole party to arrive to enter instead of distributing the tickets in advance and meeting at your seats. And since restrictive tickets are non-transferable, forget about giving them as a gift.

“Massachusetts consumers and Red Sox fans across the country need to be aware that just because you bought the tickets, doesn’t mean you are free to share or give away those tickets however you like.”

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Tickets for this concert go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Many of the best seats in the arena are not transferable – effectively banning fans from buying tickets as gifts (that is, unless you buy the tickets with the gift recipient’s credit card – some gift!). This also prevents fans from giving away or selling their tickets if their plans change and they can’t attend the concert.

This policy applies to seats in sections 101, 102, 112, 114 and 126 in rows AA-J, according to information Michigan Citizen Action obtained from the Palace box office.

Although Ticketmaster increasingly is implementing this and other restrictive ticketing policies at shows across the country, these practices have been rarely used in Michigan. Many local fans are not familiar with the many problems associated with these ticketing practices. So be careful when you buy your ticket!

Fan Freedom Project Warns Consumers of Restrictive Ticketing and Other Online Ticket Buying Pitfalls

WASHINGTON – The Fan Freedom Project today released a consumer alert for Bruce Springsteen fans planning to buy tickets for the upcoming Wrecking Ball Tour. Tickets for most stops on the tour go on sale to the public this Friday and Saturday, January 27 and 28, and eager fans of the Boss should take a minute to review a few tips before purchasing online to avoid unpleasant discoveries the day of the concert.

“Bruce Springsteen is one of the most popular and iconic American artists of all time, and fans need to be smart when buying tickets,” said FFP Consumer Advocate Elizabeth Owen. “The devil is in the details, and if you are buying tickets as a gift, or with a group of friends, you may be surprised to know that for some seats on this tour, that won’t be possible.”

The Fan Freedom Project’s Six Tips for Buying Tickets are:

1.  Read the Fine Print: Just because you bought the ticket doesn’t mean you are free to share or give away those tickets however you like. Ticketmaster is selling some seats to shows in Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, Michigan and California using restricted paperless tickets (see below), which are non-transferable. These tickets require buyers to present their purchasing credit card and photo ID at the venue to gain admittance, instead of receiving a physical ticket ahead of time. If you are buying tickets to go with group of friends or family, you have to wait for your whole party to arrive to enter instead of distributing the tickets in advance and meeting at your seats.

And since paperless tickets are non-transferable, forget about giving them as a gift.Ticketmaster recommends that you buy gift tickets with the recipient’s credit card and reimburse them. For a list of artists and sports teams that use restricted tickets, please visit the Fan Freedom Project’s FAQ.

2.  Use Reliable Sellers: Beware of fly-by-night ticket sellers. If you’re unsure whether a company is legitimate, check its ratings with the Better Business Bureau and on consumer review sites such as Yelp! If purchasing from a ticket broker, check to see if they are members of the National Association of Ticket Brokers, whose Code of Ethics requires members to adhere to basic consumer protections.

3.  Check Guarantees: Check your ticket vendor’s guarantee policy. For example, websites like Stub Hub, TicketsNow, Ace Tickets and All-Shows guarantee every ticket sold on their sites, and will replace them or provide refunds to consumers if they receive the wrong tickets, their tickets are invalid or an event is cancelled. Craigslist and other online classifieds sites do not offer such guarantees; it’s “buyer beware” when shopping this way.

4.  Pay Attention to URLs: When buying tickets directly from a venue, check the website’s URL to ensure that an imposter doesn’t dupe you. For example, Katy Perry fans were recently tricked by a website that sold tickets to a free concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Remember, even if a website looks like the official site, it may be bogus.

5.  Know the Rules: Some venues limit the number of tickets you can buy. Most stops on the Wrecking Ball tour feature a two-ticket per customer limit for general admission tickets, a four-ticket limit in paperless sections, and a six-ticket limit elsewhere.

A Radiohead fan recently reported purchasing a block of tickets to share with friends. She ordered more tickets as a wedding gift, but found herself over the four-ticket max that the venue set for the show. She is now fighting with the ticket company and venue, as they are threatening to cancel her tickets.

6.  Buy with a Credit Card: Regardless of where you buy tickets, be sure to use a credit card so you can dispute any unfair or unauthorized charges. Before entering your credit card information online, be sure the site has “https://” at the beginning of the website address. This means the site is encrypted and safer for use.

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