Bill designed to reduce ticket scams headed to governor’s desk

By Eric Schelkopf - eschelkopf@shawmedia.com

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AURORA – State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Aurora, hopes a bill she sponsored will help protect consumers from online ticket scams.

“This bill fills a gap,” Kifowit said during a news conference Thursday at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. “Government is ever evolving, along with the Internet.”

Kifowit was the lead sponsor of House Bill 3103, which offers consumers new protections by requiring companies that resell tickets to state they are not the event venue box office or its licensed ticket agent, and that lost or stolen tickets may be reissued only by the broker or reseller.

The legislation also requires any tickets resold by a broker or reseller must include a refund policy for both the cost of the ticket and handling and delivery fees, if certain conditions are meant.  

The bill recently was approved in both the Illinois House and Senate, and it is expected to be signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner by the end of June. Also attending the news conference were representatives from the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, who also voiced support for the bill, as well as State Rep. Larry Walsh Jr., D-Elwood.

Walsh also supported the bill. Tim Rater, president and CEO for the Aurora Civic Center Authority, which runs the Paramount Theatre and RiverEdge Park in Aurora, said online ticket scams have been a problem. He said he hopes this bill will address the problem, including people who go through an online ticket broker and end up paying significantly more for their tickets or never receive them, he said.

“We only hear about it when it is a problem,” Rater said. “We have had problems at every single performance. We want to make our patrons as happy as we can.”

Kifowit said she hopes the bill will reduce the number of people being victimized by online scams.

“We wanted to have a good bill that everyone can follow,” she said.