TICKETMASTER,
LLC
7060
Hollywood
Boulevard
Hollywood,
CA
90028
*
IN
THE
*
CONSUMER
PROTECTION
DIVISION
*
OF
THE
*
OFFICE
OF
THE
*
ATTORNEY
GENERAL
*
OF
MARYLAND
ASSURANCE
OF
DISCONTINUANCE
1.
This
Assurance
of
Discontinuance
("Assurance")
is
being
entered
into
between
the
Consumer
Protection
Division
of
the
Office
of
the
Attorney
General
of
Maryland
(the
"Division")
and
Ticketmaster
L.
L.
C.
("Ticketmaster").
The
Division
and
Ticketmaster
agree
as
follows:
PARTIES
2.
The
Division
is
responsible
for
enforcement
of
the
Maryland
consumer
protection
laws,
including
the
Maryland
Consumer
Protection
Act,
Md.
Code
Aim.,
Corn.
Law
ยงยง
13-101
through
13-501
(2013
Repl.
Vol.
and
2019
Supp.
).
3.
Ticketmaster
is
a
wholly-owned
subsidiary
of
Live
Nation
Entertauunent,
Inc.
Tickettaaster
is
organized
under
the
laws
of
Virginia
with
its
principal
place
of
business
at
9348
Civic
Center
Drive,
Beverly
Hills,
California
90210.
Ticketmaster
promotes,
operates,
and
manages
ticket
sales
for
its
venue
clients
for
live
entertainment
throughout
the
United
States,
including
in
Maryland.
BACKGROUND
4.
Ticketmaster
offers
and sells
tickets
to
consumers
for
live
events
at
venues
throughout
Maryland.
5.
Ticketmaster
offers
and
sells
tickets
on
its
service
platform
that
include
both
primary
tickets
(which
are
tickets
being
offered
for
sale
by
the
original
content
holder),
as
well
as
tickets
that
the
industry
generally
refers
to
as
"secondary
tickets,
"
which
are
tickets
that
are
being
resold
by
the
original
purchasers.
In
both
the
sale
of
primary
and
secondary
tickets,
Ticketmaster
typically
charges
consumers
the
listed
ticket
price,
as
well
as
various
service
fees,
m
addition
to
aiiy
other
government
imposed
fees
and
taxes.
6.
From
January
1,
2017
until
approximately
July
24,
2019,
in
connection
with
its
sale
of
approximately
4,
176
secondary
tickets
for
events
at
the
Hippodrome
Theater
in
Baltimore,
Ticketmaster
represented
to
consumers
on
its
website
that
the
price
displayed
for
the
offered
secondary
tickets
was
the
final
price
and
that
no
other
fees
would
apply.
In
each
of
these
transactions,
however,
the
consumers
were
charged
fees
other
than
govemment-mandated
fees
in
addition
to
the
displayed
price.
7.
The
Division
contends
Ticketmaster
violated
the
Consumer
Protection
Act
when
it
represented
to
consumers
that
the
price
displayed
for
tickets
was
the
final
price,
and
that
no
additional
fees
would
apply,
and
then
charged
consumers
additional
fees
that
were
not
included
in
the
displayed
price.
8.
Ticketmaster
denies
that
it
has
violated
any
Maryland
laws,
including
the
Consumer
Protection
Act,
and
contends
that
its
disclosure
concerning
final
prices
on
its
website
for
events
at
the
Hippodrome
Theater
was
designed
only
to
be
made
for
the
sale
of
its
primary
tickets
where
its
service
fees
were
in
fact
included
in
the
final
sales
price,
and
that
the
inclusion
2
of
the
disclosure
in
connection
with
its
sale
of
secondary
tickets
was
inadvertent
and
not
intended
to
mislead
consumers.
9.
For
purposes
of
resolving
disputes
concerning
the
above
allegations,
Ticketmaster
agrees
to
the
relief
set
forth
in
this
Assurance.
CEASE
AND
DESIST
PROVISIONS
10.
The
provisions
of
this
Assurance
shall
apply
to
Tickefcmaster,
and
its
officers,
employees,
agents,
successors,
assignees,
affiliates,
merged
or
acquired
entities,
parent
or
controlling
entities,
wholly
owned
subsidiaries;
and
all
other
persons
acting
in
concert
or
in
participation
with
Ticketmaster,
in
connection
with
the
sale
of
tickets
to
Maryland
consumers.
11.
Ticketmaster
shall
not
make
any
oral
or
written
statements
that
have
the
capacity,
tendency,
or
effect
of
deceiving
or
misleading
consumers.
12.
Ticketmaster
shall
not
misrepresent
the
price
of
tickets
that
it
offers
and
sells
to
consumers
including,
but
not
limited
to,
representing
that
any
displayed
price
for
tickets
is
the
final
price
or
that
no
other
fees
apply
when,
in
fact,
the
consumer
will
be
asked
to
pay
any
additional
fees
other
than
government-mandated
fees
or
taxes.
13.
Ticketmaster
shall
not
charge
consumers
any
service
or
other
fees-other
than
any
govemment-mandated
fees
or
taxes-when
it
represents
that
the
listed
price
of
a
ticket
is
the
final
price.
RESTITUTION
14.
For
purposes
of
this
Assurance,
a
"Consumer"
is
any
person
who
purchased a
secondary
ticket
for
a
live
event
at
the
Hippodrome
Theater
and
was
charged
an
additional
fee
other
than
for
govemnient-mandated
fees
or
taxes
after
having
been
informed
that
they
would
not
be
paying
any
fees
in
addition
to
the
displayed
price.
3
15.
Ticketmaster
agrees
to
pay
restitution
to
the
\
Division
equal
to
the
amount
of
all
non-govemment-mandated
fees
that
it
collected
from
Consumers
in
addition
to
a
listed
ticket
price
if,
at
the
time
the
ticket
price was
listed,
Ticketmaster
had
represented
the
listed
price
was
a
final
price,
that
no
other
additional
fees
applied,
or
that
the
Consumers
would
not
be
paying
additional
amounts
for
their
tickets
other
than
govemment-mandated
fees
or
taxes.
The
Consumers
entitled
to
restitution
include
all
Consuniers
who,
between
January
1,
2017
and
July
24,
2019,
purchased
a
secondary
ticket
for
a
performance
of
Hamilton
at
the
Hippodrome
and
who
were
charged
a
fee,
other
than
government-mandated
taxes.
16.
The
Division
shall
distribute
restitution
to
the
consumers
who
were
impacted
by
Ticketmaster's
practices
alleged
herein
to
have
violated
the
Consumer
Protection
Act
consistent
with
the
terms
of
the
Assurance.
17.
Within
thirty
(30)
days
of
the
date
of
this
Assurance,
Ticketmaster
shall
pay
the
restitution
owed
under
this
Assurance
by
refunding
to
each
Consumer
all
amounts
that
the
Consumer
paid
for
fees,
other
than
govemment-mandated
fees
or
taxes,
beyond
the
listed
ticket
prices
the
Consumers
paid
to
Ticketmaster.
Ticketinaster
may
make
the
restitution
payments
required
hereunder
either
in
the
form
of
a
check
or
by
crediting
the
required
restitution
amounts
back
to
any
credit
cards
that
were
used
by
the
Consumer
to
purchase
their
tickets.
At
the
same
time
Ticketmaster
makes
each
restitution
payment
required
hereunder,
it
shall
deliver
to
each
Consumer
the
Claims
Notice
attached
hereto
as
Exhibit
A.
18.
Within
two-hundred
and
forty
(240)
days
of|the
date
of
this
Assurance,
Ticketmaster
shall
provide
the
Division
with
a
list
of
all
Maryland
Consumers
entitled
to
receive
restitution under
the
terms
of
this
Assurance
(the
"Consumer
List").
For
each
consumer
whose
name
is
contained
on
the
Consumer
List,
Ticketmaster
shall
provide
the
4
following
information
in
the
form
of
an
Excel
spreadsheet,
with
each
item
below
contained
in
a
separate
field:
(i)
the
Consumer's
name;
(ii)
the
Consumer's
last
known
street
address;
(iii)
the
Consumer's
last
known
city,
state
and
zip
code;
(iv)
the
Consumer's
phone
number(s);
(v)
the
Consumer's
email
address(es);
(vi)
the
amount
of
all
fees
that
Ticketmaster
collected
from
the
Consumer
in
addition
to
the
listed
price
of
their
purchased
ticket(s),
other
than
any
govemment-
mandated
fees
or
taxes;
(vii)
the
amount
of
any
restitution
that
was
paid
to
the
Consumer;
and
(viii)
the
amount
of
any
unpaid
restitution
tliat
is
still
owed
to
the
Consumer.
19.
Within
two
hundred
and
forty
(240)
days
firom
the
date
of
this
Assurance,
Ticketmaster
shall
pay
the
Division
any
part
of
the
restitution
payment
due
under
paragraph
15
that
has
not
been
distributed
to
Consiimers,
which,
at
the
discretion
of
the
Attorney
General,
may
be
(a)
held
in
trust
for
the
Consumers
due
restitution
or
(b)
used,
in
accordaiice
with
State
law,
for
consumer
education
or
other
purposes
permitted
by
State
law.
PAYMENT
OF
COSTS
20.
Within
thirty
(30)
days
of
the
date
of
this
Assurance,
Ticketmaster
shall
pay
the
Maryland
Attorney
General's
Office
Twenty-Five
Thousand
Dollars
($25,
000.
00)
for
the
costs
of
its
investigation
and
the
costs
of
distributing
restitution.
5
DISPUTES
21.
The
Cluef
of
the
Division
or
his
designee
shall
resolve
any
disputes
that
arise
concerning
this
Assiirance
of
Discontinuance
and
may
enter
any
supplemental
orders
needed
to
effectuate
its
purpose.
ENFORCEMENT
22.
Ticketmaster
understands
that
this
Assurance
of
Discontinuance
is
enforceable
by
the
Consumer
Protection
Division
pursuant
to
the
Consumer
Protection
Act
aiid
that
any
violation
of
this
Assurance
of
Discontinuance
is
a
violation
of
the
Consumer
Protection
Act.
23.
Ticketmaster
agrees
that
any
future
violations
of
this
Assurance
of
Discontinuance
shall
constitute
a
subsequent
violation
of
the
Consumer
Protection
Act
for
the
purposes
ofMd.
Code
Aim.,
Corn.
Law
ยง13-410(b).
BRIAN
FROSH
Attorney
General
200
Saint
Paul
Place
Baltiinore,
MD
21202
By: ,
LUJ2fi^<DAjL^
Ticketmaster
UL.
C.
9348
Civic
Center
Dr.,
Beveriy
Hills,
CA
90210
By:,
/
William
D.
Gruhn
0
cer,
Ticketiaaster
I
--^
Philip
D.
Zipennan
Assistant
Attorneys
General
Date:
<p
l^
zo
Date:
6-
^ ^
EXHIBIT A
Dear
Ticketmaster
Customer:
We
are
writing
to
inform
you
that
you
are
entitled
to
a
refund
pursuant
to
a
settlement
between
Ticketmaster
LLC
and
Maryland
Attorney
General
Brian
Frosh.
Pursuant
to
the
Attorney
General's
settlement,
you
are
receiving
a
refund
of
certain
service
fees
that
were
inadvertently
charged
by
Ticketaiiaster
in
connection
with
a
ticket
purchase
you
made
for
a
live
event
at
the
Hippodrome
Theater
in
Baltimore.
At
the
time
you
made
the
purchase,
the
Hippodrome
Theater
had
a
policy
of
listing
a
final
or
"all-in"
price
for
primary
tickets
on
Ticketmaster's
ticketing
platform.
Secondary
tickets
for
Hippodrome
Theater
events
were
not
subject
to
the
same
all-in
pricing
policy,
but
Ticketmaster
inadvertently
indicated
otherwise,
applying
the
same
all-in
price
messaging
to
secondary
tickets,
even
though
certain
service
fees
were
in
fact
applied
to
those
secondary
tickets.
You
do
not
need
to
do
anything
to
receive
your
refund.
Your
refund
is
being
credited
back
to
the
credit
card
that
you
used
to
purchase
the
tickets
at
issue.
If
you
have
any
questions,
you
may
contact
either
the
Office
of
the
Attorney
General
at
410-528-8662
or
Ticketmaster
at
1-800-439-2686.
Very
truly
yours,
Ticketmaster
Fan
Support
EXHIBIT B
Dear
Ticketmaster
Customer:
We
recently
contacted
you
regarding
a
refund
of
certain
fees
that
were
inadvertently
charged
for
a
secondary
ticket
or
tickets
that
you
purchased
for
an
event
at
the
Hippodrome
Theater
in
Baltimore.
We
attempted
to
refund
the
credit
card
you
used
for
this
purchase,
but
the
refund
did
not
go
through.
If
you
can
respond
to
this
email
with
your
current
mailing
address,
we
will
send
you
a
check
with
your
refund
via
U.
S.
mail.
If
we
do
not
hear
from
you
within
60
days,
the
refund
that
would
otherwise
be
paid
to
you
will
be
turned
over
to
the
Maryland
Attorney
General's
Office.
If
you
have
any
questions,
you
may
contact
either
the
Office
of
the
Attorney
General
at
410-528-8662
or
Ticketmaster
at
1-800-439-2686.
Very
bruly
yours,
Ticketmaster
Fan
Support
