Live Nation Will Now Disclose Junk Fees Following New Instructions From the White House
Upon insistence from the Biden administration’s campaign against “junk fees,” Live Nation promises to provide comprehensive, upfront pricing for over 200 concerts and festivals. More companies pledge to include service fees in final ticket prices at checkout.
“Junk fees,” also known as “hidden fees,” are additional charges tagged onto the end of purchases, usually for concerts, festivals, resorts, and rentals. President Biden addressed the economic inequities brought by these fees, urging Congress to pass legislation preventing excessive charges with the Junk Fee Prevention Act.
“Today’s voluntary actions demonstrate that companies both big and small recognize the importance of providing consumers with honest, up-front all-in pricing, rather than tricking them with surprise fees at the end of checkout,” the White House stated in a fact sheet. “It is also just a first step towards addressing junk fees in the economy.”
Additional pressure stemmed from the president’s State of the Union address, which urged private companies to disclose full ticket costs upfront. Calls for Ticketmaster to provide “all-in” ticket pricing reached a breaking point in November when Ticketmaster charged customers extravagant prices for Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” tickets.
President Biden invited representatives from Live Nation, SeatGeek, Airbnb, and other sellers to meet with him Thursday to prioritize consumer equity and combat excessive fees from market powerhouses. Airbnb began disclosing all costs in their final prices in December following pressure from the White House. Likewise, SeatGeek and Iowa-based company xBk have agreed to include total fees for ticket sales to reduce customer frustration caused by last-minute expenses.
“President Biden has been working to lower costs for hardworking families by bringing down inflation, capping insulin prices for seniors, and eliminating hidden junk fees,” disclosed National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard in a written statement. “More companies are heeding the President’s call so that Americans know what they’re paying for upfront and can save money as a result.”
