Ticket resale is a controversial topic in the event ticketing industry. On one hand, ticket resale provides consumers with more options to purchase tickets. On the other hand, it can lead to price gouging and make it harder for fans to get tickets at face value. So what is Ticketmaster’s policy when it comes to reselling tickets on their platform? Here is a comprehensive look at the rules around reselling tickets on Ticketmaster.
Ticketmaster’s Official Stance on Ticket Resale
According to Ticketmaster’s website, they do allow ticket resale on their platform as long as the tickets are sold for their original face value. This means you cannot resell a $100 ticket for $500, for example. Here is Ticketmaster’s official policy on ticket resale, taken directly from their website:
We do not allow tickets to be resold on our site above the stated face value. If we identify tickets being resold in violation of our policies, we reserve the right to cancel your order without notice.
So Ticketmaster does attempt to prohibit sellers from drastically inflating ticket prices and profiting unfairly off in-demand events. However, their enforcement of this policy has been called into question, which we’ll explore more below.
How Ticket Resale Works on Ticketmaster
If you want to resell tickets you purchased on Ticketmaster, you simply list them for sale in your Ticketmaster account. Ticketmaster adds a “Resale” tag to these tickets to differentiate them from new sales. Buyers can purchase resale tickets directly through the Ticketmaster site, with the transaction facilitated by their Verified Resale platform.
As the seller, you have the ability to set your own resale price, subject to Ticketmaster’s policy that it not exceed face value. Ticketmaster tacks on an additional 10% fee for the buyer on resale tickets. As the seller, you’ll pay a 15% commission to Ticketmaster when the tickets sell.
Does Ticketmaster Facilitate Above Face Value Resales?
While Ticketmaster’s stated policy prohibits above face value resales, many consumers have accused the company of turning a blind eye to inflated resale prices on their platform. This perception stems from multiple controversial incidents surrounding high-demand events like playoff games and concerts.
For example, when Taylor Swift announced her Reputation tour, huge numbers of tickets immediately appeared on Ticketmaster’s resale site for 5-10X their face value. Ticketmaster claimed they were powerless to enforce face value prices on resale tickets. Critics countered that it’s naive to think Ticketmaster couldn’t control resale pricing on their own platform.
Additionally, some events seem to have far more tickets available on resale than were ever sold at face value. In 2015, a report claimed that just 4% of seats for a U2 show were sold at face value, with the other 96% going straight to resale at inflated prices. This led to accusations that Ticketmaster was freeing up tickets specifically for higher-priced resale.
While Ticketmaster denies these claims, it’s clear that inflated resale prices are common on their platform. Consumers have regularly encountered $1,000+ tickets being resold when face value was under $100. So whether it’s a lack of oversight or something more calculated, Ticketmaster appears willing to facilitate resales well above face value.
Is Reselling Tickets Legal?
While Ticketmaster claims to prohibit above face value resales, this often seems to be occurring regardless. So this raises the next logical question – is it even legal to resell tickets at higher prices in the first place?
The short answer is yes, in most cases. Many states have enacted anti-scalping laws that prohibit selling tickets above face value. But a number of other states allow ticket resale at market prices, viewing tickets as assets that can be freely exchanged at fair market value.
For events taking place in states without anti-scalping laws, resellers are generally free to resell tickets at whatever price the market will bear. Of course, specific venues, teams, or artists may place contractual restrictions on ticket resale, but the practice itself is legal according to the laws of many states.
That said, consumers and fan groups continue to criticize Ticketmaster and other ticket sites for facilitating price gouging. While market-based pricing may be legal, they view it as unfairly profiting off passionate fans. This online ticket resale controversy rages on, with neither side backing down.
Ethical Concerns Around Reselling Tickets
The legality of ticket resale is one thing. But there are also ethical concerns around buying tickets solely to resell them at a higher price. Critics make two main arguments against for-profit ticket resale:
- It prevents regular fans from buying tickets at face value.
- It disproportionately hurts fans with less ability to pay inflated prices.
When brokers scoop up huge blocks of tickets, it leaves fewer available for fans at list price. These inflated resale prices then put tickets financially out of reach for many. This dynamic prices out lower-income fans entirely while creating big profits for scalpers.
On the other hand, ticket resale proponents argue it’s just a case of supply and demand. If fans are willing to pay well above face value, why shouldn’t resellers be able to capitalize on that market demand? Still, concerns around fairness and ethics continue to plague the ticket resale debate.
Can You Get Banned or Have Your Tickets Cancelled for Reselling?
Both Ticketmaster and specific venues/events have policies prohibiting ticket resale above face value. In theory, they can cancel your tickets or ban you from future purchases if you violate these policies. How often does this actually happen?
The consensus seems to be – rarely, if ever. Sports teams have threatened crackdowns on broker groups reselling their tickets, only to rarely follow through. And Ticketmaster has admitted they don’t proactively police their resale platform for policy violations. Their stance is reactive; only if a fan complains about a specific listing do they investigate.
In essence, those “we can cancel your tickets” warnings are more lip service and legal cover than real enforcement threats. The optics of voiding thousands of tickets over resale practices would be terrible. Neither teams nor Ticketmaster seem willing to go there except for the most egregious isolated cases.
Tips to Avoid Purchasing Resale Tickets Above Face Value
Given the prevalance of inflated ticket resale, fans are eager for tips on obtaining face value tickets. Here are some suggestions for increasing your odds of scoring tickets close to list price:
- Sign up for pre-sales and artist fan club sales whenever possible. This gives you early access before the general public.
- For very high demand events, use multiple devices/computers to search for tickets. This increases your chances of getting through.
- Avoid downloading the Ticketmaster app, which makes it harder to circumvent their queue system. Use the desktop site instead.
- Consider waiting last-minute to buy from those whose plans fell through, though this risks the event selling out.
- Be savvy about which events brokers target most. Prioritize buying early for those.
While nothing can guarantee face value tickets in this market, those tips can help fans beat the scalpers. With persistence and luck, you can still sometimes score tickets at reasonable prices.
Conclusion
The question of whether you can legally resell tickets on Ticketmaster does not have a straightforward yes/no answer. While the company officially prohibits it, market-priced ticket resales still occur frequently on their platform. Ethics and fairness remain big points of contention surrounding the practice. Yet aside from isolated cases, Ticketmaster makes little effort to police or prevent it. Fans dislike seeing brokers profit off their passion, but have limited recourse aside from avoiding inflated resales where possible. The reality is that laws, ethics, and policies have struggled to keep pace with the modern dynamics of online ticket resale.