StubHub

Will Flag State Scalper Law

HARTFORD — Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced last week that StubHub.com — a popular website that facilitates and profits from ticket sales — has agreed to several measures to curb ticket scalping on its site.

Connecticut’s ticket scalping law prohibits the sale of tickets for events within the state for prices that exceed the ticket’s face value by more than three dollars. Mr Blumenthal had notified StubHub officials that many ticket transactions on the website appear to violate state law and public policy.

He urged the company to adopt specific measures to stop the illegal sales.

StubHub, in a letter to Mr Blumenthal, announced that it has agreed to these measures, including a clear and conspicuous “pop up” window explaining Connecticut’s scalping law to those who list Connecticut as their place of business or residence and are selling tickets to Connecticut events.

Those ticket sellers will be required to click on a button indicating that they have read the notice before proceeding to offer their tickets for sale, Mr Blumenthal said. StubHub will also require these sellers to indicate the face value of the tickets during the listing process, as Mr Blumenthal requested.

“StubHub’s strong first steps deliver a message about respect for our state laws,” the Attorney General said. “They’re committed to informing users about our ticket scalping laws, and providing information that will enable investigation and prosecution. StubHub’s stand against illegal ticket sales and cooperation with law enforcement should give lawbreakers great pause.

“These steps will help to prevent ticket scalping — and promote StubHub’s good corporate citizenship. My office will continue to monitor StubHub’s efforts to implement these measures as swiftly as possible,” he added.