The New York City Council passed a bill requiring ticket vendors and venues to show customers the full price of tickets, including taxes and service fees.
The committee says the bill enforces “transparency, not only at the point of sale, but also in advertising, which will guilt these companies into being more honest and upfront about their fees."
The bill will apply to big name online ticket vendors, like Ticketmaster, as well as any venue that sells tickets in the city, such as Barclays Center.
“You can't say tickets start at $20 if that $20 ticket actually costs $60 after fees,” says Council Member Justin Brannan, the bill's lead sponsor.
Vendors and venues who don’t comply the first time will be issued a warning. They will then be charged $250 and higher for further violations.
Brannan says the Department of Consumer and Worker Protections would enforce the law through investigations and consumer tips.
This bill will go before the mayor for his signature, and if signed, will go into effect in six months.
Ticketmaster responded to the move saying, “Ticketmaster supported New York state passing a law requiring upfront pricing and fee disclosure – and we are already compliant with this law."