Massachusetts lawmakers introduce ‘Taylor Swift’ ticketing bill

Ahead of Taylor Swift’s performances at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, two lawmakers introduced a Transparent Ticket Pricing act, which would require ticket sellers to fully disclose the total cost of tickets inclusive of fees. 

Swift performed two concerts at Gillette Stadium over the weekend, one of which endured heavy rain.

State Representative Dan Carey and Senator John Velis introduced the bill, which has been dubbed the ‘Taylor Swift’ bill. The act would mean that any ticket seller or reseller would have to clearly display the full cost of the ticket and would also prohibit the use of dynamic pricing.

Ticketmaster came under fire in November last year after the ticketing platform struggled under the weight of millions of Swift fans vying for tickets to her Eras Tour.

Senator Velis said: “This bill would add Massachusetts to a list of a growing number of states that have implemented similar policies to ensure consumers know the true cost of their tickets from the onset.

“There is often a number of additional fees added to the advertised ticket cost that consumers have minutes, if not seconds, to consider if they want to secure their tickets. It is nearly impossible for people to plan how much a ticket will cost to see their favourite artist, and that is simply wrong.”

At present, Velis and Carey argued that consumers can select a ticket within their budget before arriving at the payment stage to find that a number of fees have been added to the original ticket price.

They also argued that when dynamic pricing was used, tickets could increase by hundreds or thousands of dollars above the agreed ticket costs between the ticket company and the artist.

Carey said: “While I wrote this bill before the Taylor Swift ticket fiasco, I have heard from many Swift fans who support this change. Watching ticket prices increase as you navigate through the purchasing process is devastating.  Sellers should not be able to hide behind websites while consumers are left out in the cold.”

Representative Carey and Senator Velis noted that their legislation was based on similar laws in other US states. The bill is currently before the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure.