Ticketmaster under fire for sneaky workaround on ‘junk fee’ crackdown

• Ticketmaster reportedly raised the cost of other fees to compensate for revenue lost after U.S. regulators banned surprise "junk fees."
• The company had previously committed to displaying all-in ticket pricing upfront following a Federal Trade Commission ban that took effect.
• Documents obtained by The Guardian, including emails to venues, indicate Ticketmaster's strategy to adjust other charges to offset the revenue loss from the prohibited order processing fees.
• Former regulators suggest that disguising these charges as other fees could potentially violate the FTC's rule against misrepresenting fees.
• These developments occur as Live Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster's parent company, faces an antitrust trial over claims of being an illegal monopoly, with over 30 states rejecting a tentative settlement with the Department of Justice.

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Ticketmaster quietly adds new hidden charges to cover crackdown on ‘junk fees,’ report says