is ticket scalping legal in pennsylvania

Additionally, the Commonwealths investigation alleges that Secure failed to comply with Pennsylvanias ticket resale statute, which was introduced to combat ticket scalping. These cannot be later resold or transferred via ticket exchanges such as StubHub.[5]. On the other hand, if a scalper is a repeat offender or has a significant rap sheet, then they could receive fines that are greater than $1,000 and a prison sentence for one year or longer. I can barely stand paying ticketmaster, so I am definitely not going to pay some stranger more than the actual artist who created the music I want to hear live! In recent years, fraudsters have started to use more complex methods by which they obtain tickets for resale on the secondary market. What Is A Motion To Dismiss (All You Need To Know), What Is A Demurrer (Explained: All You Need To Know), What Is Music Law (Explained: All You Need To Know). Although scalping is not illegal per se, event organizers and venue organizers do not allow scalping within the stadium grounds or at the event. What are the essential elements you should know! It is important to note that not every state considers ticket scalping to be illegal. Ticketmaster acquired former rivals GetMeIn and TicketsNow,[11] while eBay bought StubHub. There definitely should be a cap to the price. The Commonwealth alleged that Secure had been selling tickets online for years without following the requirements for online ticket sales. The Wild West Of Ticket Sales And Scams | TPR The new law became effective immediately. To avoid purchasing scalped tickets, it is best to acquire them straight from the official box office or a trustworthy ticket seller. In speaking in favor of the bill before the Senate, Republican State Sen. Ted Erickson said the move was long overdue. However, even with anti-scalping laws, scalping activities tend to take place in person, online, and for major events. "[10] Ticketmaster launched fan to fan secondary ticket reselling site TicketExchange in November 2005. During the live show, call210-614-8980, emailthesource@tpr.orgor tweet at@TPRSource. In an effort to compromise on ticket scalping laws, licenses or permits are often required, and the decision to make scalping illegal is made by individual states or municipalities. By the way those who buy season tickets pay more than face! I have bought tickets from scalpers for more than 20 concerts, and only one time have I had to pay more than face value. As part of the settlement, Secure has agreed to fully refund any Pennsylvania consumer who purchased a ticket before November 19, 2021 to a show which was canceled, and has not yet received a monetary refund from Secure. Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell late Friday signed into law a bill that allows anyone to legally resell event tickets online. If convicted, it will appear as a misdemeanor on an offender's criminal record. The Keystone State joins Connecticut and New York as the most recent states to legalize ticket scalping, but requires resellers have a presence in the state. Jaclyn holds a J.D. Firstly, avoid buying tickets from platforms such as Facebook Marketplace and eBay, as these are almost certainly being sold by scalpers. I strongly oppose your signing into law a bill that allows anyone to legally resell event tickets online. It is aimed at the instant mass acquisition of tickets to resell them at a higher price and generate a profit. The book examines the general situation, public opinion and legal perception of scalping for four distinct periods: 1850-1899; 1900-1917; 1918-1949 and 1950-2005. I wonder if this law limits the actions teams can take against season ticket holders, etc. Those who can enforce the law at races or football games include box office personnel, supervisors, venue managers, ticket agents, security agents, event promoters and seat holders. If scalping were illegal, then I would have never been able to afford such great seats. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw the emergence of online ticket brokering as a lucrative business. This caused event promoters to put restrictions on the number of tickets that can be purchased in one transaction, which has greatly reduced unfair ticket pricing. The Keystone State joins Connecticut and New York as the most recent states to legalize ticket scalping, but requires resellers have a presence in the state. The buyers who have the money and means to pay the high price demanded from scalpers will end up getting the tickets they want (hoping they are not defrauded in the process with counterfeit tickets!). Laws about ticket scalping vary by state, and there is no federal law that prohibits the practice. One common concern with resale is with scam artists selling fake tickets to unsuspecting buyers. I agree with the person above. There have been numerous times (this morning included) where I have been online with my finger on the refresh button two minutes prior to the official selling time. Have you checked energy prices lately-same thing. Your Persons who are caught doing so can face considerable legal penalties. Another thing is, yes, you should not wait until the last minute. There are many events where thousands of tickets are sold in a matter of minutes or hours. 717-787-5211 Ticket scalpers pay little heed to rules | TribLIVE.com Would the rules be different if I did this regularly versus infrequently (making two to five transactions a week versus two to five transactions a month, would the rules that apply be different)? Secure then changed their refund policy, without notice and against Pennsylvania law, to a mandatory store credit and refused to provide monetary refunds for canceled shows, according to the Office of Attorney Generals investigation. What is Ticket Scalping | How To Stop Buying Bots & Scalpers | Imperva This means that the penalties and elements to prove whether or not an individual may be punished for illegally scalping tickets will vary from state to state. When ticket scalping laws are broken, consequences are often not enforced. What on earth could be *more fair? [28], Ticket resale by scalpers above face value is legal in Sweden regardless of limitations imposed by event organizers.[29][30]. Bus. HARRISBURG Attorney General Michelle Henry announced a settlement has been reached holding accountable the ticket reseller website. Ticket resale (also known as ticket scalping or ticket touting) is the act of reselling tickets for admission to events. The New York Times reported that this could help the agency determine demand for a given event and more effectively compete with ticket re-sellers.[41]. So, then what separates scalping from something like drop shipping? Effective:1/1/1975 Created 1974 Ky. Acts ch. Real fans follow their teams or favorite artists, and know when the tickets go on sale. I sell the rest.Enjoy your Cuban! Now I have no problem with paying a bit of a premium, however 5 times the price is a little rediculous. Its not just 100-200 tickets a game, but 2000-3000 tickets. Law, Employment - View Article - NYTimes.com", "Ticketmaster Credit Card Entry - Information and FAQs. We've helped more than 6 million clients find the right lawyer for free. 10 Some state regulations are designed to prohibit scalping only if the issuer wishes to do so." Other regulations attempt to control scalpers by requiring a license. All the scalpers care about is to make a maximum profit at the expense of the fans. Im not made of money, but I spend the funds for the season every year. --xtina. Scalping in Pennsylvania is legal, as long as the seller doesn't collect $5 or 25 percent more than face value on the ticket, whichever is higher. While in law school, her law journal note was selected for first-round publishing, and can be found on various legal research databases. When the supply of tickets for a given event available through authorized ticket sellers is depleted, the event is considered "sold out", generally increasing the market value for any tickets on offer through secondary sellers. BTW you could go online at the beginning of the year and buy up tickets and if that team dont make it to the finals your going to be out a lot of money. (2) Ticket scalping is a violation. I thought I'd share the rules with you, considering scalping without a license IS a crime. In most of these states, scalping is considered a misdemeanor that may result in the offender getting a fine and up to one year in jail. [36], Some US states and venues encourage a designated area for re-sellers to stand in, on, or near the premises, while other states and venues prohibit ticket resale altogether. Ticket Scalping Laws in Other States In 2009, Ticketmaster started adoption of a "paperless" restricted ticketing, in which tickets could not be resold. I'm a lawyer and passionate about law. Now yes supply & demand do come into play but it seems some of these people bought a lot of tickets with the intent of just selling them for profit. This is caused by a number of factors. Unlike bigger ticket scalpers who buy a ton of tickets at once, this is buying and selling tickets from secondary markets. Harrisburg, PA 17120, Phone: In other words, it is designed to prevent online ticket scalping. If you want to attend a ticketed event, but are having a difficult time determining where to buy your tickets, there are a few things you can do to make sure you are purchasing tickets from an authorized vendor. Just because scalping is a non-violent crime without a victim does not mean that scalpers do not get arrested or are ignored. At the federal level, you do not have any particular federal statute that expressly prohibits scalping or the practice of scalping. Just the other side of the coin. Instead, states are free to enact their own state scalping laws to regulate the practice. The point of this ridiculous situation is that if the team sets the price for level E seats at the Penguin arena for Round 3 at $90 then you should only have to play $90 for the item. Additionally, the statute defines the word person as a natural person or a corporation. Do you right the tickets off on your tax return? The economics of ticket scalping - The Conversation Over the past two decades, ticket scalping has become increasingly common due to the existence of the internet. There are more important problems than legal scalping from the common person. ", "The Concert Ticket Industry Is Still Broken", "Scalper-Bots Shake Down Desperate PS5, Xbox Series X Shoppers", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ticket_resale&oldid=1147324800, Enable official ticket sellers to authenticate tickets that are being resold, Permit tickets to be resold above face value in circumstances where tickets are authenticated or have a money-back guarantee. Office of Public Safety and Inspections. If you must purchase tickets from a third party, pick a safe and reputable platform like Ticketmaster or StubHub, which offer buyer protections and ensure ticket authenticity. Just a thought. Now I can't go because I can't afford the huge markup. In the United States, the laws regulating ticket scalping varies from one state to another. Otherwise, there is no resale limit for tickets. Tickets are bought from licensed sellers and then sold for a price determined by the individual or company in possession of the tickets. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Is Scalping Illegal (Ticket Scalping: All You Need To Know) - Lawyer.Zone Login to add posts to your read later list, Event Ticketing Resources For Secondary and Primary, http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&sessYr=2007&sessInd=0&billBody=S&billTyp=B&billNbr=0086&pn=1250. Library, Bankruptcy In 2011, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, declined to pass a law against touting, saying it would just drive re-sellers to websites based abroad. Hello Nation! Ch. In such scenarios, those ticket re-sellers are actually selling forward contracts of those tickets. The fact that it is a business to make tickets scarce and then sell them off at outrageous prices is appalling. For instance, some states like Texas have no restrictions on ticket scalping, while others like New York and New Jersey, impose strict limitations and penalties on those who are found guilty of illegally scalping tickets. The state of Maine makes it unlawful to resell or scalp tickets at an inflated price. Legal - Page 105 - TicketNews After several years of working for both criminal defense and entertainment law firms, she enrolled in law school.

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