Entertainment & Sporting Event Fees are a Problem, Survey Finds

Hidden fees for many goods and services have become a major issue for irate consumers, and sporting event fees are no exception. According to Consumer Reports, approximately 85 percent of consumers say they’ve been charged hidden fees for tickets to live entertainment and sporting events. These hidden sporting event fees are second only to telecommunication providers in the number of complaints over questionable surcharges that an increasing number of merchants and service providers tack on to the purchase price.

Usually buried in the “fine print” where consumers rarely notice them, hidden fees wind up costing the average consumer hundreds, or even thousands of dollars every year. Not surprisingly hidden charges like sporting event fees are becoming a frequent cause of action in lawsuits.

Hidden Fees – an Ugly History

Hidden fees and surcharges have been a major contributor to the decline of the American middle class and the alarming (and dangerous) rise in income inequality, according to author Devin Fergus, a professor of history and public affairs at the University of Missouri. In his recent book, Land of the Fee, Fergus notes that the number of companies charging these invisible, and often fraudulent, fees have increased exponentially over the past four decades, disproportionately impacting low-income families and people of color.

Ticketmaster, according to Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know, has long been accused of hidden sporting event fees. Originally, the company originally licensed and sold computer software for ticketing systems and transitioned in 1982 to computerized ticketing.

In 2006, the company’s then president, Sean Moriarty told admitted on National Public Radio that his company had lobbied legislators in numerous states to pass laws restricting ticket resales to “authorized companies.”

While critics feared such laws would lead to monopolies, Moriarty claimed the reason was to combat scalpers and the sale of counterfeit tickets. Before long, however, Ticketmaster found itself a defendant in a lawsuit alleging antitrust law violations.

Today, Ticketmaster continues to offer consumers the convenience of purchasing tickets to sporting and other entertainment events and has spawned many imitators. However, consumers wind up paying stiff sporting event fees for that convenience, in some cases as much as 50 percent. Customers typically don’t notice the fees until they hit the checkout button.

Avoiding Hidden Sporting Event Fees

The Penny Hoarder reports that sports fans have a much better opportunity of getting fairly-priced admission, sometimes below face value, by using ticket resale apps and websites. SeatGeek.com discloses any fees up front and allows customers to search for the best deals.

Meanwhile, a recent Harvard Business Review piece calls for a total ban on hidden fees. Author Rafi Mohammed says that in the long run, the practice of hidden fees will do more harm than good to business as consumer frustration rises. He calls for the passage of legislation to end what he refers to as a “pricing shell game.”

Join a Free Hidden Fee Lawsuit Investigation

If you believe that you were charged unexpected hidden fees by a merchant or service provider, you may qualify to join this hidden charge class action lawsuit investigation.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.