New rules to protect consumers from purchasing fraudulent tickets

ONTARIO is making changes to the Ticket Speculation Act, which come into effect July 1, 2015, that will help reduce fraud and give consumers greater confidence in the tickets they are purchasing.

In recent years, the selling of tickets online has grown in popularity. However, consumers in the online resale market can be vulnerable to fraud as electronic tickets can be easily reproduced.

In an effort to protect consumers from purchasing fraudulent tickets, Ontario is creating an exemption under the Ticket Speculation Act to:

  • 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
  • Allow tickets to be resold at a price that includes any service fees paid when the ticket was first purchased.

Partnering with industry to help protect consumers against fraud is part of the Ontario government’s economic plan to build Ontario up. The four-part plan includes investing in people’s talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history, creating a dynamic and innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.

 

Quick Facts:

  • Anyone who resells a ticket for more than face value without using a verification system or without an effective money-back guarantee will still be breaking the law.
  • Ticket fraud is a growing concern in the sports and entertainment industry. Some vendors have reported that at large stadium events there is an average of 50 to 60 instances of invalid tickets.
  • To create this new regulation, the Ontario government consulted with industry and the public in fall 2014.