Ticketmaster Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Price Gouging In Illinois

Case Overview: A class action lawsuit claims Ticketmaster overcharged consumers for event tickets, violating the Illinois Ticket Sale and Resale Act.

Consumers Affected: Consumers who purchased tickets through Ticketmaster in Illinois.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division

Ticketmaster is tricking concert-goers into spending more on tickets that they should be by charging above face value, and is violating Illinois law while its at it, according to a new lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed in California, claims the ticketing giant’s practices breach the Illinois Ticket Sale and Resale Act, which prohibits selling event tickets for more than the price printed on them.

Ticketmaster Overcharged for Tickets, Lawsuit Claims

Chicago resident Melanie Hogan filed the proposed class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster, alleging the company of charging her above-face-value prices for tickets to a Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘n’ Out show at the United Center. She claims she was unaware the price she paid for the October show exceeded the ticket’s face value, as well as the venue and original distributor's prices.

Hogan says Ticketmaster’s practices left her and others unjustly overcharged and she argues they deserve compensation for the violation. The lawsuit also argues that Ticketmaster offers both face-value tickets and "verified resale" tickets at higher prices for the same events. 

For example, at a Chicago Bulls game, Ticketmaster sold a face-value ticket in Section 102 for $179 but listed a resale ticket in the same section for $192, showcasing its dual pricing model.

Alleged Violations of Illinois Law

Under the Illinois Ticket Sale and Resale Act (TSRA), it is illegal to sell tickets above face value unless certain conditions are met. While some exceptions apply for brokers, resellers, and platforms, these exceptions require dispute resolution by an independent third party, the lawsuit explains. 

Ticketmaster, however, uses New Era ADR, a company financially tied to it, creating a potential conflict of interest. A recent Ninth Circuit decision criticized this relationship, with a judge calling it a “massive and obvious conflict of interest.” 

The court found that Ticketmaster’s lack of independent dispute resolution disqualifies it from charging Illinois consumers prices beyond face value.

Other Ticketing Platforms Face Legal Challenges Over Pricing

Ticketmaster isn’t the only ticketing platform facing legal challenges. Across the U.S., several companies are under scrutiny for their pricing practices. See Tickets, owned by Vivendi, is accused of hiding ancillary fees from consumers until the final checkout stage, allegedly violating New York laws. 

SeatGeek is facing claims that it misleads customers by advertising fee-free prices but adding hidden charges during the checkout process. 

In California, StubHub is being sued for failing to adequately disclose final costs upfront. Meanwhile, Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation, is battling antitrust claims accusing the company of using monopolistic practices to inflate prices and stifle competition. 

In the Ticketmaster price gouging class action lawsuit, Hogan seeks to represent a nationwide class of consumers in her allegations that Ticketmaster violated the Illinois Ticket Sale and Resale Act. She is seeking damages, restitution, injunctive relief, interest, fees, and costs.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Hogan v. Ticketmaster LLC
• Case Number: 2:24-cv-10098 
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California,Western Division 

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

• Stefan Bogdanovich and Philip L. Fraietta (Bursor & Fisher, P.A.)

Have you purchased tickets through Ticketmaster in Illinois? Share your experience with their pricing practices in the comments below.