Ticketmaster denies the FTC’s claims that it works with scalpers
Ticketmaster has unveiled what it says are new measures to stop scalpers by prohibiting users and ticket brokers from creating multiple accounts, requiring sellers to use taxpayer identity verification, and using artificial intelligence tools for “faster evaluation and cancellation of tickets purchased by bots,” as an FTC lawsuit filed last month that accuses the platform of working with sellers continues. To raise prices. “Ticketmaster does more than anyone else to fight bots and get tickets into the hands of real fans,” the letter states.
The announcement was made in a lengthy letter written to the senators behind the lawsuit by the company’s executive vice president, Dan Wall, and obtained by Variety, with the goal of “increasing the percentage of tickets that go to real fans” by using Social Security number or taxpayer ID verification to void scalper accounts. Wall also said the company would not allow brokers to exceed the platform’s ticket resale limits, another accusation in the lawsuit.
Ticketmaster will also discontinue TradeDesk, a tool that allows sellers to track their ticket sales, though Live Nation has denied using the tool to mislead customers, as noted in the lawsuit.
The company also denied other allegations in the lawsuit, claiming that it does not collude with ticket sellers to raise prices, and that it violates the Best Online Ticket Sales Act (BOTS Act), a 2016 law intended to prevent bots from reselling tickets at high prices.
Unsurprisingly, independent venues and tourism organizations were quick to criticize the claims made in the letter. In a statement, the Independent National Assembly said. He wrote: “Live Nation’s ‘actions’ on resale detailed in a letter to Congress are too little, too late to restore the trust of fans, artists and theaters. They appear to have been caught opening their systems to predatory sellers, which is a betrayal of fans and artists. This appears to be an attempt to clean up their damaged public image following the FTC’s powerful BOTS and practices case.” Deception against them. Based on that lawsuit and this letter, we’ve seen clear evidence that Live Nation and Ticketmaster are in bed with scalpers, and resale platforms like StubHub and Vivid Seats are profiting from it every day.
“A feasible way to repair the damage caused by Live Nation’s alleged collusion with scalpers is for them to voluntarily cap resale tickets on their resale platform at no more than the face value of the original ticket.”
Also on Monday, the National Independent Talent Association, a trade group for managers, agents and independent American artists who represent them, wrote, “Ticketmaster or any other platform should engage in the resale of tickets above face value. This practice harms artists and their fans alike. We are encouraged that the FTC’s efforts have already led to Ticketmaster overhauling its systems by Eliminate multiple broker accounts and improve their efforts regarding BOTS scans.”
diverse You’ll have more about the situation as it develops.