(TRENTON) – With the goal to give New Jersey consumers greater flexibility when buying tickets to entertainment events, the Assembly Regulated Professions Committee advanced legislation to provide consumers the right to buy transferable tickets that may be transferred or resold without penalty.
“No one wants to be stuck paying for a ticket to an event they can’t attend,” said Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen), prime sponsor of the legislation. “Nontransferable tickets cannot be resold, leaving consumers no resource to recoup their money. The goal of this bill is to ensure consumers have the option to buy tickets that may be transferred to someone else if the situation arises.”
The measure (A-3194), known as the New Jersey Ticket Consumer Choice Act, would guarantee the right of New Jersey ticket buyers to opt out of restrictions that limit their ability to use, sell or give away tickets they have purchased. When buying on a platform that provides nontransferable tickets, consumers would be given the option to buy a transferable ticket instead.
Ticket holders would not be penalized or face discrimination for reselling their ticket. Similar legislation protecting the rights of ticket holders to resell their tickets has been in effect in New York State for six years.
The bill is also sponsored by Assembly Democrats Clinton Calabrese and Robert Karabinchak.
“Anyone who’s bought a ticket to an event with high demand – from a Bruce Springsteen show to the Super Bowl – knows how hectic the process of buying tickets can be. In some cases, fans may not realize they’re getting tickets that can’t be resold later,” said Calabrese (D-Bergen, Passaic). “Consumers should have a clear option to buy a transferable ticket at the time of sale, giving them both the awareness of what kind of ticket they’re buying and the ability to choose what’s right for them.”
“If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s the importance of flexibility,” said Karabinchak (D-Middlesex). “Consumers should have the flexibility to transfer their tickets to someone else without being charged unnecessary fees or facing other penalties. At its core, this bill is about protecting the rights of consumers.”
The measure now goes to the Assembly Speaker for further review.