Ticketmaster to ban reselling tickets above original price starting next week

Ashish Sharma of the Consumers Council of Canada reacts to the legislation in Ontario that will cap resale ticket prices in the province.

Ticketmaster Canada says fans won’t be able to resell their tickets for more than the original cost starting next week.

A spokesperson for the company confirmed the move to CP24 on Thursday after the province passed its budget bill, which includes a measure to cap resale ticket prices.

“With the legislation coming into force shortly, we have begun contacting all fans with tickets listed on our resale platform to let them know we have delisted their tickets from our marketplace,” a Ticketmaster Canada spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

“Next week, fans will be able to relist their tickets in compliance with Ontario’s new legal requirements once updates have been made to our resale marketplace.”

The amendments to the Tickets Sales Act of 2017 are going to make it illegal for tickets to concerts, cultural, sports, and other live events in Ontario to be resold for more than the all-in purchase price, which includes fees, service charges, and applicable taxes.

• READ MORE: Ontario to ban resale of tickets for more than face value

The Ticketmaster spokesperson reiterated on Thursday that the company supports the province’s new legislation, calling it “an important step toward creating a more transparent resale market for fans.”

A copy of an email with the subject line “Resale update in Ontario,” sent by Ticketmaster to resellers, was posted on social media on Thursday. The company informed the reseller that their listing was being removed to comply with the new law.

Provincial officials touted the move as a measure to protect consumers from being exploited by price gouging when buying resale tickets.

The province said the resale price cap would apply to anyone who resells a ticket and to any platform that facilitates a resale.

Some experts have expressed skepticism about the cap and worry that it could do more harm to the average consumer. They also question how the province will enforce it, as some platforms are based out of Ontario.

The province has said it is eyeing penalties of up to $10,000 for ticket businesses that break the new rules.

With files from Alex Arsenych and Joshua Freeman