“Perhaps given the near monopoly held by Ticketmaster, and the fact that many of the venues were partially built with taxpayer construction dollars, maybe there is a case for government intervention,” he wrote.

For the full story, click here: Letter: Restricted tickets are a problem

The post Letter to the Editor: Restricted Tickets are a Problem appeared first on Fan Freedom.

Yahoo! News reveals

Frustrated fans can rest assure lawmakers in New York and New Jersey are trying to pass legislation that would require transparency on the number of tickets available during public onsales.

For the full story, click here: The Little Secret Of The Concert Business

The post Presales Are Eating Up All The Concert Tickets appeared first on Fan Freedom.

“Restricted tickets — marketed under the façade of innovation, convenience and purchase protection — essentially restrict fundamental freedoms long taken for granted,” wrote Anuzis. “Until these anti-market, anti-consumer practices are stopped, make sure to read the fine print before you make your next ticket purchase.”

For the full op-ed, click here: Look twice before buying concert tickets

The post Op-ed: Look Twice before Buying Concert Tickets appeared first on Fan Freedom.

Restricted tickets are tied to the original purchaser’s credit card and require a matching photo ID to gain entry into the venue. These tickets cannot be resold or given away if plans change at the last minute.

CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, which owns Ticketmaster acknowledges restricted ticketing can cause problems for fans. “The exception to the rule, like a fan getting sick, has to be addressed,” he said.

For the full story, click here: Restricted tickets double for summer music tours

The post Summer Concert Season Shows Increase in Restricted Ticketing appeared first on Fan Freedom.

Chris Grimm of Fan Freedom said Ticketmaster and others love to point their finger at other people and at automated bots. “They should also be looking in the mirror at their own ticketing practices,” said Grimm.

For the full story, click here: Why can’t you score concert tix? Maybe because as many as 80 percent of seats are never put on sale

The post Ticket Holds Responsible for Near-Instant Sellouts of Popular Shows appeared first on Fan Freedom.

Pan’s bill passed unanimously in the Assembly and has been sent to the Senate, but a crucial part of the bill was removed earlier this spring. In its original form, the bill sought to protect consumers’ ability to easily transfer tickets to others.

For the full story, click here: Ban bots that hike concert ticket prices: Editorial

The post Editorial: Ban Bots That Hike Concert Ticket Prices appeared first on Fan Freedom.

“Sports and entertainment are a multibillion dollar industry in New York,” wrote Weprin. “But the consumer rights of the fans who support that business are too often violated.”

For the full op-ed, click here: Level the playing field on sports, entertainment tickets

The post Op-ed: Level the playing field on sports, entertainment tickets appeared first on Fan Freedom.

The New York Times reports automated ticket-buying bots pose a big problem for the concert industry by scooping up tickets to hot shows and leaving fans frustrated. Ticketmaster claims for some concerts, bots have been used to buy more than 60 percent of the best tickets.

But some are not convinced bots are to blame for the quick sellouts of popular concerts. Jon Potter with Fan Freedom pointed to ticket holds, a practice in which large blocks of tickets are reserved for presales and VIPs and never go on sale to the general public.

For the full story, click here: Concert Industry Struggles With ‘Bots’ That Siphon Off Tickets

The post Are Ticket-Buying Bots Behind Fast Sellouts for Popular Concerts? appeared first on Fan Freedom.

“This is well-intended but terrible for consumers,” said Jon Potter with Fan Freedom. “Know the purchasing environment and fine print before buying.”

For the full story, click here: Michael Bublé concert to offer paperless tickets

The post Michael Bublé Concert to Use Paperless Tickets appeared first on Fan Freedom.

Restricted tickets are nontransferable so they can’t be resold or given away, even as a gift or to charity.

For the full story, click here: Are “Paperless Tickets” Really “anti-Fan” Restrictions? Growing Practice Among Ticket Vendors Draws Criticism

The post Restricted Ticketing Draws Criticism from Consumer Groups appeared first on Fan Freedom.