DC Resale Act aims to stop scalping, fake tickets and inflated prices

DC Resale Act aims to stop scalping, fake tickets, inflated prices

D.C. Council is holding a hearing in D.C. on Wednesday to crack down on ticket scalping and price gouging in the resale market.

WASHINGTON - D.C. Council is holding a hearing in D.C. on Wednesday to crack down on ticket scalping and price gouging in the resale market.

Locally owned music venues and artists say they support the bill — but major ticket companies claim the proposal would actually make the problem worse.

What we know:

The goal of the legislation is to get a handle on how concert, theater and sports tickets are bought and sold on the secondary market.

It’s not unusual for big events to sell out — but advocates say once consumers head out into that market, they’re often faced with predatory pricing, massive markups, and in some cases, even fake tickets that don’t exist.

D.C.’s Resale Act would ban ticket resellers from charging more than 10% above face value.

It would also ban speculative tickets — meaning no one could sell a ticket they don’t already own — and it would require anyone selling more than 50 tickets a year to register with the city and post a $10,000 bond.

What they're saying:

Ticket resellers argued that parts of the bill could cut off access to tickets altogether. But the bill’s author says the current system is unfair to consumers who just want to see a show.

"When people get gouged on the price of a scalped ticket, their budget isn’t unlimited — and now they go to fewer shows and spend less in our economy," said Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen. 

"There are other parts of this bill that would have serious unintended consequences — that really do risk driving out the marketplaces that have made ticket resales safe," said Brian Berry from the Ticket Policy Forum.