Attorney General's News Release

February 28, 2008

Nixon reaches settlement with GoTickets Inc.; broker to comply with consumer protection laws, pay $7,500

Jefferson City, Mo. — An Springfield, Ill. ticket broker that allegedly violated state consumer protection laws in the sale of Hannah Montana concert and Missouri-Kansas Border Showdown football game tickets will comply with those laws and pay $7,500 to the state under an agreement with Attorney General Jay Nixon. The stipulation and assurance of voluntary compliance between Nixon and GoTickets Inc. was filed Wednesday (Feb. 27) in Cole County Circuit Court.

Nixon filed a lawsuit against GoTickets and two other brokers last October charging them with violating Missouri law by scalping tickets for the Dec. 3 Hannah Montana concert at Kansas City’s Sprint Center. On Nov. 16, Nixon obtained a temporary restraining order preventing the broker from selling or offering tickets to the Nov. 24 Missouri-Kansas football game above face value in violation of state and local anti-scalping laws.

The Attorney General alleged that GoTickets violated Missouri consumer protection statutes by:

• Omitting the fact that at the time consumers purchased a ticket, GoTickets had not secured an actual seat for the venue;
• Omitting the fact that it was a violation of anti-scalping ordinances in Kansas City and St. Louis at the time to sell tickets in those cities at prices above face value;
• Misrepresenting to consumers on its Web site that GoTickets follows and enforces the industry’s most stringent rules and highest level of ethics while at the same time scalping tickets to events in violation of local and statewide laws.

Under the agreement, GoTickets will comply with the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act in the future and pay $7,500 to the state to cover the costs associated with investigating and prosecuting the case.

The sale or offer for sale of any tickets above face value in Kansas City was a violation of a local ordinance against scalping when Nixon filed his lawsuit against GoTickets last October. The sale or offer for sale of sports tickets above face value was illegal under Missouri’s state scalping law when Nixon obtained the court order against GoTickets on Nov. 16. Both laws expired last Nov. 28 when a bill signed by the Governor invalidated all state and local anti-scalping laws.

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Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818