US president Joe Biden is meeting today (June 15) with representatives of some of the country’s largest entertainment and travel companies to end their practice of levying hidden fees.
The White House has announced that companies like Live Nation and SeatGeek have committed to improve price transparency. The meeting will also offer a stage to ticketing companies like DICE and TickPick to discuss how all-inclusive prices are good for business. One of the meeting attendees, the Pablo Center at the Confluence from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, introduced price transparency at the venue in April and reported a 15% uptick in ticket sales.
The companies’ commitments add to a series of actions that federal consumer protection agencies have announced in recent months, as removing hidden fees became a priority for Biden, who has also called on Congress to issue legislation reinforcing consumer protections.
Live Nation and other firms are committing to all-in ticket prices
🎙️ Live Nation said that it would show just one total ticket price in September for fans attending its venues and festivals across the US. Ticketmaster, owned by Live Nation, will give consumers the option to see all-in pricing for tickets sold on its platform. Live Nation has not yet responded to a request for comment from Quartz.
💺 SeatGeek, a ticketing platform, is rolling out an all-in price feature over the summer.
🎟️ xBk, an Iowa-based venue, will introduce all-in pricing for over 15,000 tickets sold for over 100 events that it plans to host.
Quotable: Biden puts the ball in Congress’s corner
“The President continues to call on Congress to pass legislation that mandates up-front all-in pricing for all ticket sellers, bans surprise ‘resort fees’ eliminates early termination fees charged by cable, internet, and cellphone companies, and bans family seating fees.”
—A White House statement on June 15
How US federal agencies are protecting consumers from hidden fees
🏦 The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is taking aim at hidden banking fees on overdrafts, bounce checks, and credit card late fees.
🖱️ The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a “Click to Cancel” rule that would make it as easy to end subscriptions as it is to sign up.
✈️ The Department of Transportation (DOT) is focusing on airlines’ hidden fees and the way they refund costumers for delays and cancellations.
📶 The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wants cable providers to show all-in pricing for their services, and a rule changing the way broadband providers communicate their offerings is set to enter into force next year.
Related stories
🫥 The Cure forced Ticketmaster to refund fans a portion of “unduly high” fees
🔥 Taylor Swift fans’ rage sparks calls to break up Ticketmaster and Live Nation
🛩️ Biden’s plan to eliminate hidden airline fees is taking flight