Red Sox fans that pay upwards of $200 for tickets when purchasing through secondary ticket services or scalpers may soon experience a more competitive and cheaper market.
Expensive pricing for tickets may not be in accordance with a 1924 Massachusetts law that only allows secondary ticket services to charge $2 above face value, according to an article in The Boston Globe.
Vendors, however, can work around the law by taking advantage of operating charges, such as business costs and advertising, so they can legally charge $150 for a $50 ticket.
State Representative Michael Moran, D-Brighton, proposed a law that would make it possible for sports fans to buy tickets from secondary vendors at more attainable prices. This legislation would implement more protection for buyers regarding refunds and cancellations on ticket purchases.
To curb the ticket inflation, Massachusetts state legislators will be holding meetings concerning the overhaul of current regulations this month, according to The Globe.
If passed, sky-high tickets prices could come into check, making costs fall closer to the $2 range of face value and potentially ending expensive resale of tickets.
It would also take away many restrictions on the secondary sale of tickets, making it more difficult for services such as StubHub and Ace Ticket to overcharge customers.
Moran’s goal is not to force vendors to lower prices on tickets, but to allow a secondary market to exist as an option.
State Senator Jack Hart, D-Boston, re-filed a bill in January to limit resale inflation to 50 percent. He said that he would also be in favor of a bill that extends the limit to a 100 percent inflation.
A similar law moved through the House in 2007, but could not pass through the Senate in 2008 because of lobbying allegations.
Other locals groups have fought for consumer rights concerning ticket holding.
The Fan Freedom Project, a group that was at one point sponsored by StubHub and supported by the National Consumers League, is advocating on a non-government level to protect the rights of ticket holders and hold a competitive marketplace.
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I hope they put a cap on housing prices too.