Ontario is moving to outlaw the resale of tickets for more than their original value, following through on legislation that was promised. <\/p>\n
Ontario is moving to outlaw the resale of tickets for more than their original value ahead of FIFA World Cup games in Toronto that are expected to carry significant demand. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re putting ticket scalpers on notice: Your days of ripping people off are done,\u201d Premier Doug Ford said in a post on X Friday. <\/p>\n
Proposed changes to the Tickets Sales Act of 2017 would make it illegal for tickets to concerts, cultural, sports and other live events in Ontario to be re-sold for more than their original cost, the province said in a release. <\/p>\n
The original costs would refer to the all-in price originally paid to the primary seller, plus any fees, service charges or applicable taxes charged on the resale.<\/p>\n
At the same time, the government says it is looking at strengthening \u201cvalidity guarantee requirements\u201d to protect against the sale of fake tickets and to create new powers that could be used to stop unfair service charges and fees during the purchasing process.<\/p>\n
The ministry says it is eyeing penalties of up to $10,000 for ticket businesses that break the new rules. <\/p>\n
Jays and Taylor Swift highlighted problem<\/p>\n
Last year Blue Jays fans balked as they saw World Series tickets sell out in moments<\/a>, only to be instantly posted for resale on Ticketmaster and resale sites for many times their face value. Tickets for the final games of the World Series at Rogers Centre were resold for tens of thousands of dollars. But even the cheapest seats in the house \u2013 standing room only \u2013 were reselling for close to $2,000 a piece. <\/p>\n Fans vying to get their hands on Taylor Swift tickets the previous summer were met with a similar experience, causing many fans to cry foul on Ticketmaster\u2019s resale policies. <\/p>\n For its part, Ticketmaster has said it does not set prices, nor does any one person or entity. <\/p>\n \u201cThe resale prices are set by numerous small sellers,\u201d the company told CP24 back in October. <\/p>\n However, it has complied with laws passed in other jurisdictions like Australia and the U.K. that forbid ticket reselling for unlimited prices. <\/p>\n In 2019, the Ford government scrapped a law that would have capped ticket resale prices at 50 per cent above the original face value, calling it \u201cunenforceable.\u201d<\/p>\n