President Biden recognized the actions of private sector ticketing and travel agencies to eliminate hidden junk fees and provide transparent pricing to millions of customers. Unwanted charges, which are hidden, surprise charges that companies slip onto customer bills, are a pervasive problem across sectors of the economy. The president called on federal agencies, Congress, and private businesses to take action to address these fees and provide consumers with honest and transparent pricing. Today, the President announced the actions of several companies in response to this call.
Representatives from Live Nation, SeatGeek, xBk, Airbnb, the Pablo Center at the Confluence, TickPick, DICE and the Newport Festivals Foundation joined the President to discuss their commitment to ending surprise fees by fully disclosing fees to consumers in advance, according to a fact sheet provided to PoliticusUSA by the White House. These companies serve millions of consumers every year, all of whom will enjoy a better shopping experience with no surprise fees imposed at checkout.
Companies that make new commitments will improve the shopping experience for tens of millions of customers each year. For example, Live Nation is committing to rolling out an all-inclusive pricing experience in September, showing one clear total price for more than 30 million fans who attend shows at more than 200 Live Nation-owned venues and festivals across the country. . Additional engagements include SeatGeek, xBk, Airbnb, the Pablo Center at the Confluence, TickPick, DICE and the Newport Festivals Foundation.
The administration has also taken a number of administrative actions to combat junk fees across all sectors of the economy, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Today’s voluntary actions demonstrate that businesses large and small recognize the importance of providing consumers with honest, up-front prices, rather than tricking them with surprise fees at the end of payment. It’s also just a first step in tackling junk fees in the economy. President continues to call on Congress to pass legislation that mandates upfront flat pricing for all ticket sellers, prohibits surprise “resort fees,” eliminates early termination fees charged by cable, internet and and mobile telephony and prohibits family seat charges. .
