Music fans should ‘protest with their wallet’ against ticket re-sellers: consumer advocate
Posted October 2, 2018 7:19 pm.
Last Updated October 3, 2018 5:26 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO (NEWS 1130) — A Toronto-based consumer advocate is speaking out against B.C. banning the re-sale of concert tickets initially sold by Ticketmaster, the world’s largest primary ticket broker.
In August, we learned more than 6,500 British Columbians taking part in a survey recommended capping re-sales and getting rid of bots, but Solicitor General Mike Farnworth has not announced any action yet.
David Clement with the Consumer Choice Center says a more “organic” fix is to follow the lead of artists making sure fans don’t lose out by tracking, then cancelling sales to secondary brokers.
“The example of Eric Church going that route where a problem arises and a solution is created between artists and consumers, and that type of behaviour doesn’t get emphasized enough as a potential solution,” he says. “More often than not, people want to look at government for the solution.”
He sees government action as over-regulation and fans should take action into their own hands.
“If that’s something that you are passionate about and you truly care about, look for the artists who encourage that type of practice and protest with your wallet,” he says.
Class action lawsuits have been filed against Ticketmaster in Canada and the U.S. based on claims the company inflates prices and actively recruits brokers to re-sell tickets, so it can profit from secondary sales.
Ticketmaster and Live Nation are also facing legal action from Canada’s Competition Bureau regarding questionable marketing practices.
