Swifties File Lawsuit Against Ticketmaster Over Eras Tour Fiasco

More than two dozen Taylor Swift fans want to settle the score in court with ticket vendor Ticketmaster. Following the Eras Tour ticketing fiasco, Swifties from across 13 US states have filed a class-action lawsuit accusing Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation of “fraud, price-fixing, antitrust violations,” and “intentional misinterpretation.”

The complaint, obtained by Rolling Stone, claims Ticketmaster breached the California Cartwright Act and the California Unfair Competition Law during the ‘Eras’ Tour ticket presale.

It alleges the ticketing behemoth has a monopoly on primary and secondary markets and engages in fraudulent practices, such as price discrimination. 

“Because no other venue can hold half as many people as the stadiums and venues working through Ticketmaster, Taylor Swift, and other popular musicians have no choice but to work through Ticketmaster.”

The lawsuit further states that Ticketmaster’s “anticompetitive behavior” has harmed Taylor Swift fans and other ticketing industry players, as the vendor “has taken steps to make additional profit from the scalped tickets.” 

26 plaintiffs seek $2,500 for every violation of California’s Unfair Competition Law, which prohibits false advertising and illegal business practices. 

When sales for Swift’s ‘Eras’ Tour tickets started in mid-November, fans were left hanging due to website crashes, fluctuating prices, and never-ending virtual queues. Most Swifties blamed Ticketmaster for the botched “verified fans” presale, saying that the vendor couldn’t handle the demand. 

Ticketmaster acknowledged there had been an “unprecedented demand,” saying that it sold more than two million tickets – the most ever sold for an artist in a single day.