More protections for Colorado concertgoers could be coming, bill heads to Governor Polis’ desk
COLORADO (KRDO) - A bill is headed to the desk of Governor Polis that aims to protect Coloradans when buying a ticket for a big event.
The legislation will guarantee refunds for canceled shows, prohibit hidden fees and ban deceptive resale websites.
Legislation in multiple states was spurred on by large scale fiascos like one in November 2022, when Ticketmaster canceled general sale tickets for Taylor Swift's Eras tour.
"We just want to buy a ticket at a fair price and have some freedom to go to the show or not go see the show," said John Breyaut with the National Consumers League. "Unfortunately, that's not what happens today. "
The National Consumers League (NCL) is a group working on the front lines to check and balance Ticketmaster, a company Breyault calls the 600 pound gorilla of the industry.
"That is a company that owns the entire live event industry," said Breyault. "Everything from the ticket that you buy to the venue that you go to watch that concert in."
Under current Colorado law, Ticketmaster is able to hide additional fees and prohibit access to some concertgoers who have purchased their tickets through a third party website.
State legislators tried to combat some of the complications with a 2023 piece of legislation. The bill passed through the House and Senate but didn't make it past the Governor's desk, after the National Consumers League encouraged him to veto the bill.
Breyault says by the time it got to Polis' desk, it was far different from the original draft.
"We were left with a bill that we thought did more harm than good," said Breyault.
However, Breyaut and the NCL support this new 2024 bill.
"It bans any increase in the cost of the ticket after a consumer has selected the ticket for purchase," said Breyault. "There are guaranteed refunds for canceled shows and it cracks down on deceptive resale websites that make themselves look like they are affiliated with a team or a venue."
Polis does still have to sign this into law, but this time around, the legislation has widespread support from both state parties and consumer protection groups.
