Province promises legislation to crack down on ticket re-sellers
Posted October 16, 2017 6:17 pm.
Last Updated October 17, 2017 8:10 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The BC government is promising to make life easier for fans trying to buy tickets to see their favourite bands or other high-profile events.
Fans complaining about being shut out of P!NK’s upcoming May 12th concert in Vancouver are out of luck, but new legislation to crack down on ticket re-sellers could be tabled early as next spring.
Vancouver-West End MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert says he’s not surprised social media has been flooded with complaints from fans now forced to consider paying more than $1,000 for a seat at sold-out shows.
“In some cases, it’s actually the artists themselves or their producers who are artificially limiting ticket sales, so that they can drive up the prices and then using various backdoor methods to gain some of that profit,” he says.
Chandra Herbert says improvements like capping resale prices are long overdue.
“There will be people who game the system and I think the government needs to work with the entertainment industry, with artists, with sports teams to come up with a strategy that makes sure fans get the first crack at the tickets and not at an inflated price.”
The Vancouver-West End MLA adds he’s hoping a series of hearings will be held to gather input from fans, brokers and music industry insiders.
He says he hopes the government holds a series of public hearings to figure out the best way to move forward.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says he’s considering improvements which include capping resale prices, but legislation is not likely before the spring sitting of the legislature.
