Colorado’s Pro-Consumer Ticket Bill Continues to Sail,Passes Senate Committee, Next Stop Full Senate
Bill Requires Disclosure of Fees, Guarantees Refunds, Bans Deceptive Websites
For Immediate Release
May 2, 2024
Contact: Karl Howley, khowley@vision360partners.com
Denver, CO. – The Ticket Buyer Bill of Rights Coalition, representing leading consumer protection and fan advocacy organizations, released the following statement after the Colorado Senate Business, Labor, & Technology Committee advanced HB24-1378 today. The Colorado House passed the bill on April 14th. The legislation must now be considered by the full Colorado Senate.
“Governor Polis called on the Legislature and stakeholders to work together this session to pass a truly pro-consumer bill and we are thrilled to see it happen,” said Brian Hess, Executive Director of the Sports Fans Coalition. “Too often fans are duped by deceptive websites and surprising hidden fees that don’t appear until the payment screen, and this legislation will fix that by making upfront, all-in pricing the law along with other important protections.”
HB24-1378 would:
Prohibit hidden fees by instituting all-in, up-front price transparency
Ban any increase of the ticket price after a consumer selects the ticket for purchase
Guarantee refunds for canceled shows
Ban the use of deceptive websites which impersonate a venue or seller
The rights that HB24 24-1378 provides build upon this Colorado law and would promote competition and fairly regulate all sectors of the market. This legislation institutes protections for consumers in both the primary (initial sale) and secondary (resale) ticketing market. The bill would crack down on deception at all levels of ticket distribution, from the on sale to the use of the ticket.
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The Ticket Buyer Bill of Rights Coalition was founded in February 2023 by leading consumer and fan advocacy organizations to offer a framework for ticketing legislation that can improve the market that serves millions of fans each year. The Bill of Rights features five pillars; The Right to Transferability, The Right to Transparency, The Right to Set the Price, The Right to a Fair Marketplace and The Right to Recourse. The Ticket Buyer’s Bill of Rights has been endorsed by The Denver Chapter of the Center for New Liberalism, National Consumers League, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of California, National Association of Consumer Advocates, Public Knowledge, Sports Fans Coalition, Virginia Citizen Consumer Council, Protect Ticket Rights, and Fan Freedom. Learn more at www.ticketbuyerbillofrights.org.