FTC Rule Requires Upfront True Costs of Concert Tickets, Vacation Rentals; Gets Rid of Hidden Fees

December 17, 2024

For Immediate Release:

FTC Rule Requires Upfront True Costs of Concert Tickets, Vacation Rentals; Gets Rid of Hidden Fees

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Trade Commission today issued its final rule to address junk fees in live event tickets, hotels, and vacation rentals. The rule requires that event ticket sellers, hotels, and other short-term lodging disclose upfront, in offers, displays, and advertisements, the “true total price” of their services, including all mandatory fees. The rule

“Simply put, the FTC rule replaces unfair and deceptive pricing schemes, employed by hotels and live-event ticketing platforms, with upfront honest and transparent information,” said Ira Rheingold, executive director of the National Association of Consumer Advocates.

The rule also warns live-event ticketing or short-term lodging businesses against misrepresenting fees or charges in their offers, displays or advertisements. The rule will apply to the live-event ticketing industry, including the practices of venues, ticket sellers, and ticket resellers, and short-term lodging sites, which includes hotels, motels, inns, short-term rentals, vacation rentals, and other lodgings.

“For too long, consumers have been surprised by unpredictable fees in the middle or near-end of online ticket purchases or hotel and short-term vacation reservations and end up with final costs that far exceed the original advertisement or offer,” said Christine Hines, NACA’s senior policy director. “The corporate bait-and-switch pricing tricks in this sector will largely vanish under the FTC’s rule.” 

This new policy is scheduled to go into effect 120 days after publication in the Federal Register.

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