Free market for ticket resale

If you buy a concert or event ticket, it’s yours to use, give away or sell without conditions. That’s the premise of a bill sponsored by Rep. Joe Hoppe (R-Chaska).

HF657 would prohibit ticket issuers from imposing conditions on a ticket resale, such as limiting where it may be resold, or requiring the original purchaser’s photo identification or credit card for entrance in lieu of a paper ticket.

The House Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee approved the bill March 9 and sent it to the House floor. Its companion, SF425, sponsored by Sen. Chris Gerlach (R-Apple Valley), awaits action by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.

The bill would ensure “open transferability,” which is critical for a free market and best for consumers, said Dustin Brighton, senior manager of government relations with EBay Inc., which owns popular online ticket market StubHub that counts 220,000 Minnesota customers.

Brighton said some issuers, such as Ticketmaster, restrict resale of its paperless tickets to the company’s own ticket exchange, and prohibit selling below face value or even giving a ticket away to a friend.

“Technology should be used to empower consumers as opposed to restricting them,” Brighton said.

However, representatives of local sports and theater venues told committee members that outside businesses such as eBay should not dictate Minnesota business practices and said paperless tickets have some advantages.

Ticket fraud is mitigated by electronic tickets, said Dave St. Peter, Minnesota Twins president. Minnesota Vikings ticket sales manager John Neppl said the ease and convenience of paperless tickets is a plus for season ticket holders who don’t need to keep track of paper tickets that can be lost or stolen.

Jim Sheeley, vice president of venues for Hennepin Theatre Trust, said customers who buy tickets directly from the venue or artist’s representative avoid shady ticket resale practices such as the experience of a Minneapolis woman who thought she was buying expensive front row seats from the Orpheum Theatre online, but really purchased back row seats from a scalper whose website seemed legitimate.