Crashing websites and insane resale prices are two statements that describe the process that fans go through in order to buy tickets for any concert. Ticket scalpers find innovative ways to buy concert tickets in bulk and resell them for outrageous prices.
In order to combat this problem, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order to protect fans from exploitative ticket scalping and make the ticket-buying process easier.
On March 31st, President Trump signed an Executive Order to protect fans from ticket scalping to reform the entertainment ticketing industry. It works directly with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in order to ensure that the laws are created and enforced within the industry.
Federal efforts to curb high ticket sales in the country are not new. In December, then-President Joe Biden’s FTC announced a final rule banning hidden “convenience” or “service” fees for concert tickets at checkout.
Trump’s latest executive order takes aim specifically at ticket scalpers, who have learned new and innovative ways in order to buy concert tickets in bulk using bots. The ticket scalpers then resell tickets to fans 70 times the face value price. Reselling tickets also affects the artist. The artist does not receive any profit for what the reseller sells the ticket for. This new executive order will protect both the artist and fan
Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, made a statement regarding the issue of ticket scalping. “Scalpers and bots prevent fans from getting tickets at the prices artists set, and we thank President Trump for taking them head-on. We support any meaningful resale reforms — including more enforcement of the BOTS act, caps on resale prices, and more.”
One of the most important aspects of this executive order is that it works towards combating high prices of tickets both through first hand and second hand ticket sales. This means that both the artist and resellers have to sell tickets with full price transparency. Both instances take away from ticket prices being exceptionally high and creates a more fair market for the consumer.
San Diego is a hot spot for festivals and concerts. In addition, we are only two hours away from Los Angeles which has more opportunities to see people’s favorite artists. Buying tickets has only become harder and harder for fans.
Katie Schmitt, senior, attended Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert in Los Angeles. She had a very hard time trying to buy tickets both through first and second hand ticket sales. “For two tickets, my mom and I had to pay insane prices for second hand nosebleed seats.” Katie was unable to buy tickets through the main ticket sales due to an influx of buyers at one time that the website did not anticipate. “The whole ticket buying process was so unorganized and is unfair for fans like me who don’t want to pay crazy resale prices through sketchy sellers.”
Fans hope that through President Trump’s executive order, they will have a more affordable, safe, and easy ticket buying process for their favorite artists. Jasmin Kisir, senior, shares these hopes as an avid concert goer. “Concerts and festivals are a great way to do something fun and I hope getting tickets will become easier to purchase so I can enjoy the process as a whole and it not get ruined by a stressful ticket buying process.”
