Photo Credit: SeatGeek
SeatGeek Canada is facing additional fines from the Ontario government for allegedly violating a law that limits the resale of event tickets at face value.
SeatGeek Canada now faces two more fines from the Ontario government over allegations that it violated a recent law that caps the sale of concert tickets at no more than face value. The Ontario government’s consumer beware website shows the new fines issued to the resale platform now total $22,500 ($15,835 USD).
The first of the fines amounts to $15,000 ($10,557 USD) for allegedly making a ticket available for sale beyond the resale price limit. The second is for $7,500 ($5,278 USD) for allegedly failing to disclose the total price of a ticket when a seat was purchased from a primary seller.
The website did not disclose what events the fines originated from, and SeatGeek Canada did not respond to inquiries as to whether it would try to oppose the penalties. A spokesperson said via email that the company is doing its best to comply but has “yet to receive meaningful direction from the government on how to do so.”
The new fines stem from legislation implemented in the province earlier in the year, following fan backlash to resale prices for tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in 2024, coupled with similar outrage over tickets to last year’s Toronto Blue Jays playoffs.
The law was designed to prevent bad actors from reselling seats to events within the province for well above face value and discourage scalpers. In August, the Ontario government also fined SeatGeek Canada for similar offenses, while StubHub Canada faced a $20,000 ($14,076 USD) fine last month.
Following the first round of fines, SeatGeek told the press that it was difficult to confirm the original value of tickets because many sellers do not provide access to that information. Further, seats sometimes change hands several times before they show up on a resale site, and if tickets were acquired as part of a package deal, it can be challenging to ascertain the value of a single ticket.
SeatGeek said that it has asked the Ontario government to define what counts as acceptable proof of a ticket’s original price, as well as guidance on how a marketplace should validate the cost of seats.
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