Big Changes for TicketsNow.com

A subsidiary of Ticketmaster Entertainment Company has fessed up to some shady ticket selling practices.  TicketsNow has reached an agreement with the Illinois Attorney General after many customer complaints about overpriced tickets, particularly over the widely popular Hannah Montana and Bruce Springsteen shows.  And after a hefty fee to the state of Illinois, the company has restructured the way they resell tickets.
 
The primary accusation against TicketsNow was mainly based on their use of specific website domain names, which led fans into believing they were on a website that was affiliated with the concerts promoters and event operators. The misled fans would then purchase tickets for what they believed was face value, when in reality was a much higher resale price.
 
In response, the company has launched a new program to help “redefine live event ticket resale.”  The new initiative, called “Fans Up Front,” will offer several features to customers, including: Total Price Transparency – which will display the original ticket price in addition to resale market prices, Know Before You Buy – which will inform consumers if original price seats are still available and provide a direct link to TicketMaster, and will continue to offer Only Available Tickets – which prohibits the listing of tickets before their official sale to the public. 
 
TicketsNow began as the VIP Tour Company in 1992.  Founded by Mike Domek, VIP quickly became and full-service ticketing agency, leading the launch of TicketsNow.com in 1999.  The company was features as one of the “Greatest Companies Started for $1,000 or Less,” by Inc. Magazine.  In February 2008, TicketsNow was acquired by TicketMaster for $265 million.