North Texans had been amongst the millions of Taylor Swift fans frustrated when they could not get tickets to her most current tour. The drama that unfolded shed light on a broader concern with ticketing systems for events and reside performances.

The trouble stems from bots, or automated applications, purchasing up a bunch of tickets and then reselling them for an exorbitant quantity of funds on secondary markets.

Thursday afternoon, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) sat down with leaders from prime D-FW sports teams and music venues to get their input as he crafts a piece of legislation to address the concern.

“These enterprises would not exist with no the fans, so we’ve got to take care of the fans, and from a pure customer protection standpoint, this is not one thing we should really tolerate,” mentioned Cornyn who agreed the debacle that occurred with tickets sales for Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” was what brought consideration to the subject. “All of this of course causes harm not only to the fans but to the performers who are really attempting to make the fan expertise optimal.”

Amongst the panel of executives integrated a Taylor Swift fan who also had a hard time having tickets. Kate Testone, who is from Austin but is a junior at the University of Arkansas studying psychology, explained how she’s been a Swiftie considering the fact that she was five-years-old, and was excited about the new tour.

“When we’re speaking about the ‘Era’s Tour’, we’re speaking about the eras of Taylor’s profession, but for myself, this was the eras of my life and I grew up with her. Her music has been a big portion of my life,” Testone mentioned as she described the excitement amongst her and her mates about the new tour. “However, we would not have been in a position to anticipate the challenges that having tickets would present.”

She described problems with the lengthy waiting lists, the web-site crashing and only getting tickets on secondary markets.

“I wasn’t in a position to get something but resale tickets, and so then you are hunting at about $450 for an obstructed view, that implies you are not even watching her execute, you are watching a jumbotron and then if you wanted to be in the upper bowl you are hunting at $900, and as college students, we’re not in a position to spend that. I surely wasn’t, I consume Raman for each meal, so surely can not draw up $450 for a ticket,” mentioned Testone.

Cornyn mentioned he’s operating on a piece of legislation, referred to as FANS Initially Act, to curb these complications.

He mentioned it would get in touch with for far more transparency, requiring ticket vendors and resellers to disclose taxes, charges and refund policies to customers.

It would also prohibit the use of bots to obtain tickets, prohibit speculative ticket sales that trick customers into believing they are purchasing straight from an artist or venue and enact consequences for negative actors.

“1 of the issues we’re hunting at is enabling the Federal Trade Commission, FTC, which is a lot far more nimble and in a position to address person instances via agency action. So that is the major implies by which the enforcement or the consequences would be delivered,” mentioned Cornyn who also mentioned the state Attorneys Common could also impose civil penalties and develop a reporting internet site for fan complaints.

He mentioned he’s operating with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) who he worked with in 2020 on the ‘Save Our Stages’ bill which helped deliver SBA grants to reside music venue operators who had been impacted by the shutdown through the pandemic.

“This is a subject that has definitely captured the public’s imagination, they comprehend it due to the fact several have had a negative expertise with predatory ticket scalping, so I consider the public is interested, and the visibility, the truth this is not a partisan concern, this is 1 exactly where we’re attempting to shield the fans and shield the performers that it really is one thing we ought to be in a position to get accomplished,” mentioned Cornyn.

It is not only the fans who expertise aggravation, the artists and venues say they obtain the backlash considering the fact that people today consider they are the ones carrying out the cost gauging when they are not.

Texas nation music singer and songwriter Max Stalling explained it from his viewpoint.

“What takes place is they’re mad, they come to the show due to the fact they’ve currently invested the funds, and they stand there crossed-armed at the front of the stage and give me the stink eye all evening due to the fact they consider this guy is above his raising and how he’s charging what should really have been a $30 ticket, now it really is a $60 ticket and, ‘Oh by the way there is a $20 handy charge that got tacked on at the finish.’ So not only have I lost this fan moving forward, but they also say to themselves, ‘You know what? I am not purchasing any of your stupid T-shirts, I am not purchasing any of your other stupid merch that you have there that generates income,’ so it really is type of a double whammy,” mentioned Stalling who believes legislation would be great.

Dave Brown, COO and Common Manager at the American Airlines Center can be devastating for households who consider they are about to love an occasion.

“In hosting 60 to 70 big entertainment events a year, we see dozens of households coming to the box workplace with tickets that are fraudulent, households coming to the box workplace with tickets that have been misrepresented, tickets that they overpaid for and it really is pretty small chance on a sold-out show to attempt and enable them navigate that disappointment for their household,” mentioned Brown.

“We strive on taking care of our guests and we have handle on most elements on that, how our guests are taken care of, their security, how they are treated when they come to the venue, but an element of our organization has taken that handle away and it tends to make it appear negative for us, it becomes our trouble, the artist trouble and the reseller is nowhere to be identified,” explained Brown.

“Our group faces these problems with brokers, secondary ticketing, bots anytime that we’re promoting tickets for any 1 of our events surely tonight is no unique when you are in the Westerns Finals brokers are attempting to get access to these tickets and marketplace these tickets up at considerably larger rates,” mentioned Brad Alberts, President, Dallas Stars.

“These bots and the people today behind them are the ones we’ve got to take care of and I consider when that takes place, we’ll see a big distinction,” mentioned Doug Dawson, SVP of Stadium Income, Dallas Cowboys who believes consequences are necessary to see adjust.

Cornyn mentioned the subsequent step is to seek other bi-partisan co-sponsors, then file a bill in the Senate, then the Senate judiciary committee, get it to the Senate, and perform with these in the Residence to get it to the president’s desk.

Testone mentioned she nonetheless can not shake it off that she missed the concert, but hopes her feedback from her expertise assists.

“I felt like it was critical due to the fact I consider the fan’s viewpoint, is why we’re right here, we get in touch with it fans 1st for a cause and as somebody who was definitely disappointed not getting in a position to go, I did not want to repeat when the subsequent tour comes out, I wanted this trouble to be fixed,” she mentioned.

Final Friday Gov. Abbott signed Senate Bill 1639 that would prohibit bots from acquiring tickets.