CONSUMER PROTECTION LEGISLATION FOR LIVE EVENT TICKETING PASSES COLORADO GENERAL ASSEMBLY, HEADS TO GOVEROR POLIS’ DESK
Leading Consumer Groups Cheer “New Gold Standard” in Live Event Ticketing Statute
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2024
Contact: Ian Eli Lee: ilee@vision360partners.com
Denver, CO. – The Ticket Buyer Bill of Rights Coalition, representing leading consumer protection and fan advocacy organizations, released the following statement applauding both chambers of the General Assembly for passing the most pro-consumer ticketing law in the United States. HB24-1378, a bipartisan bill designed to improve consumer protection and transparency while combating deceptive practices in ticketing, passed the Colorado House last week and the Colorado Senate yesterday on a vote of 30-3 with minor technical amendments. The Colorado House quickly concurred with the Senate’s amended version of the bill, sending it to Governo Polis’ desk to be signed into law. The Governor has 30 days to sign the bill.
This new law will build upon Colorado’s current law protecting the rights of fans to freely use, sell, or transfer their purchased tickets, which helps to provide Colorado fans with other sources from which to buy tickets other than the venue box office or its contracted “primary ticketer.” Polling conducted in May 2023 found that 81% of Coloradans support this current law, agreeing that “someone who has purchased a ticket to a concert or sporting event should be able to sell or give away their purchased ticket however they wish.” Further, 62% said that venue box offices, teams, artists, and primary ticketing companies like Ticketmaster should not be able to prevent consumers from buying tickets through secondary resale marketplaces like StubHub, Seak Geek, or Vivid Seats.
HB24-1378 will:
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
"With the passage of HB 24-1378, Colorado is poised to become the nation's gold standard for consumer protection in live event ticketing," said Brian Hess, Executive Director of Sports Fans Coalition. "Colorado started with transferability, now the Centennial State adds upfront all-in pricing, refund guarantees, and bans on deceptive websites. It has been a long process to reach this momentous point, and HB-1378 will stand as a shining example of what can be accomplished with strong, consensus-driven leadership and with consumer protection advocates at the table from the start. We commend Representatives Lindstedt and Valdez and Senators Gardner and Sullivan for standing up for all of Colorado's fans."
“Colorado is once again leading the way in protecting fans,” said National Consumers League Vice President John Breyault. “We appreciate the commitment that Gov. Polis and leaders in the Colorado General Assembly have shown to ensuring that fans get a fair shake in the Centennial State.”
“Transparency is desperately needed in ticketing, and this new law will make ticket pricing more transparent from the start so that we fans are no longer surprised by hidden fees,” said Brian Berry, Advocacy Director of the fans’ rights initiative Protect Ticket Rights. “This is a common sense bill with consumer protection at its core and we appreciate the determination of lawmakers and Governor Polis to put consumers’ needs over the profit-motive of entrenched industry interests.”
Colorado is one of six states that has enshrined the right of its citizens to freely use, give away, or sell their tickets through transferability. Polling conducted last year found that Colorado voters agreed four to one that consumers should maintain this right to give away or sell their purchased tickets. Because of this protection, Colorado’s sports fans have enjoyed more than $5 million in savings by buying tickets on secondary markets between 2017 and 2023 from ticket holders unable to attend games but willing to resell them for less than their original price.
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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.