Ticketmaster Canada has started notifying customers that resale tickets now must not exceed the original price, in compliance with the province’s new requirements.
“Ticketmaster Canada supports Ontario’s new legislation capping ticket resale prices as an important step toward creating a more transparent resale market for fans,” a spokesperson for Ticketmaster Canada said in an email to the Star.
The entertainment company confirmed it has delisted resale tickets from its marketplace. Starting next week, sellers can relist their tickets, while following the new provincial requirements.
“We remain committed to creating a fair and secure ticket marketplace for everyone in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations,” Ticketmaster Canada said.
New legislation, which is yet to receive royal assent, amends the 2017 Ticket Sales Act. People in Ontario will no longer be able to sell tickets on a secondary market at a price that exceeds the original cost.
Why is Ontario introducing the new requirements?
Premier Doug Ford first suggested the new measures in response to resale prices of Blue Jays tickets during the World Series last October. Many baseball fans faced skyrocketing prices trying to secure a seat for the seven-game playoff series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“They’re gouging the people, when you have one player in the market that controls the tickets, that’s not right for the people,” Ford said, referring to Ticketmaster.
Ticket prices for the World Series games at Rogers Centre were going for as much as $10,000 from resellers in the lower bowl. A single seat in section 524 was listed for $8,661.41 to attend Game 1, including fees of $1,576.41.
While the new requirements are being made through amendments to the previous Liberal government’s Ticket Sales Act passed in 2017, Ford had scrapped provisions of that law in 2019 for being “unenforceable.”
The former rules capped ticket resale prices at 50 per cent above the original price and banned computer “bots” used to automatically buy up sports and concert tickets.
What does Bill 97 say about ticket resales?
Bill 97 is the Ontario government’s budget initiative, titled the “Plan to Protect Ontario Act.” The bill had passed its third reading on April 23.
Schedule 16 of the bill addresses ticket prices. Under the amendments, ticket resellers will face a number of new restrictions.
New maximum amount for resale
All tickets for sale on a secondary market — resale tickets — must not exceed the total price paid to the primary seller.
The resale offer will be required to include the total price of the ticket when it was purchased from the primary seller, the price charged for the resale and any fees applicable to the secondary sale.
Operators of a secondary ticketing platform, like Ticketmaster, must also ensure that offers disclose the above information.
For accountability, the bill also requires that the total price paid for the ticket by the purchaser is either printed or displayed on the ticket when it is issued.
Limited fees and service charges
The bill suggests that if the operator of a secondary ticketing platform charges a fee or service charge, then a secondary seller will not be allowed to themselves charge any fee or service charge, “unless permitted to do so by the regulations.”
Disclosure of seller identity
As per the new regulations, any person who makes a ticket available for resale needs to disclose their name, location and contact information. If the sale is done through a secondary ticketing platform, the seller’s identity needs to be disclosed to the operator of that platform.
