North Carolina’s State Legislature, setting aside a previous proposal that would have made online ticket resell more difficult, is currently debating a bill that would loosen the restrictions on online ticket resale within the state. Under current state law, it is illegal to resell a ticket for greater than $3 above its face value unless authorized by the promoter. (See video here)
The Tar Heel State is one of less than a dozen states that still prohibits ticket resale, and in fact is one of the battleground states where angry parents filed a lawsuit against TicketsNow over the Hannah Montana ticketing mess.
While ticket scalping may be illegal, it is a law that is often difficult to enforce. Short of catching an individual in the act of reselling a ticket, there is little local law enforcement officers can do to stop scalping. Adding to the complicated task of cracking down on scalping is the use of online resale sites which create a fast and efficient means for sellers to get rid of unwanted tickets, often at prices far above face value.
Responding to the growing popularity of online resale sites, HB 1418 looks to keep North Carolina up-to-date with the current consumer trends. The new bill would augment the existing law by allowing for unrestricted ticket resale online. While the revamped law would not apply to student tickets issued by universities, it would cover all other tickets, with the stipulation that if the event is canceled or the tickets are fraudulent the site will be held responsible for refunding the buyer’s money.
In an interview with North Carolina local news channel WRAL, Sean Pate, spokesperson for StubHub!, praised the potential law change, saying that the current slate of anti-scalping laws are “painfully outdated.”
