“There are a multitude of reasons why people have had such a hard time getting tickets, and I’m trying to figure out how this situation can be improved in the future,” said singer Taylor Swift.
By KATELYNN RICHARDSON
THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR
(The Center Square) – The Nevada Attorney General’s Office has announced that it is investigating Ticketmaster for “alleged deceptive or unfair business practices.”
“Our office has received consumer complaints regarding recent issues with Ticketmaster, and we are investigating the company for alleged deceptive or unfair business practices,” the tweet read.
Friday morning’s announcement follows numerous complaints from Taylor Swift fans who experienced massive system issues while trying to purchase tickets for her Eras tour. Ticketmaster released an update Tuesday, rescheduling some presales due to “historically unprecedented demand.”
On Thursday, Ticketmaster canceled general public ticket sales entirely due to “extraordinarily high demands on the ticketing systems.”
The Tennessee and North Carolina attorneys general also said their offices would investigate the company this week.
AG Jonathan Skrmetti of Tennessee was the first to announce. On Tuesday, his office tweeted: “(Mr. Skrmetti) and his consumer protection team will use every tool available to ensure that no consumer protection laws have been violated.”
In an interview with the Tennessee Star, Mr. Skrmetti said that Ticketmaster is a potential example of violations of fair trade laws and antitrust laws, matters that fall under the attorney general’s consumer protection work.
“@Ticketmaster’s decision to cancel sales underscores the important need for accountability,” his office tweeted Thursday. “Fans deserve a fair chance to buy a ticket. I am encouraged by other state AGs who are also taking this issue seriously.
The North Carolina attorney general’s office paired its Thursday announcement with a play on one of the songs from Ms Swift’s new album “Midnights.”
“BREAKING: You’re NOT alone, kid,” the office said. “Attorney General @JoshStein_ is investigating Ticketmaster for allegedly violating consumer rights and antitrust laws.”
Nevada Attorney General’s Office communications director John Sadler also incorporated lyrics from a Taylor Swift song into the ad.
And the Justice Department is investigating Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, for potential antitrust violations, The New York Times reported Friday. The investigation is said to predate the recent Taylor Swift ticket chaos.
“It’s really hard for me to trust an outside entity with these relationships and loyalties, and excruciating for me to just watch mistakes happen without recourse,” Ms Swift said in a Friday post on her Instagram Story.
“There are a multitude of reasons why people have had such a hard time getting tickets, and I’m trying to figure out how this situation can be improved in the future,” she continued. “I’m not going to excuse anyone because we’ve asked them several times if they can handle this kind of request, and we’ve been assured they can.”
