Google Cracks Down On Scalping By Vetting Broadway Ticket Resellers

We all know the struggles of navigating prices for a ticket to see a really good show. We've all heard the crazy tales of people dropping thousands of dollars to see their favorite performer on their final show.

However, Google may be on the right track towards cracking down on those scalped, $1,000+ tickets. The #1 Internet search engine has began the process of vetting Broadway ticket resellers in an effort to reduce the number of notoriously expensive scalpers. Google wishes to remove these sellers from their top results by requiring an inspection that must be passed in order to receive advertisement on their website. This will hopefully clarify to online ticket customers which sites are real Broadway ticket vendors and which are deceptive ones.

In addition to this, Broadway ticket resellers must reveal that they are not affiliated with a show's box office in order to avoid further deception. In terms of the infamously high ticket inflation, Google is requiring that resellers not only clarify that they are reselling at a higher price, but also must include a breakdown of all additional costs (including high fees and taxes) before collecting payment information.

According to Forbes, Google stated, "It's common practice for resellers to mark up the price of tickets, and customers must be aware of it." Therefore, the final step in making customers aware of ticketing prices, Google is simply requiring all resellers to list the true face value of the tickets next to the marked up price.

On top of these efforts, Google is even taking it a step further: they plan to stop resellers from using domain names that deceive customers into thinking they are affiliated with Broadway theaters. The Shubert Organization -- which owns eighteen theaters on and off Broadway, including the Imperial Theatre and the Music Box Theatre -- took initiative in 2015 by buying all domains in reference to their theaters to avoid scalpers.

Forbes also reported that several members of Congress tried to take action by contacting the Federal Trade commission, quoting Senators Cory Booker and Orrin Hatch's argument that the use of a venue in a domain name might "suggest to consumers that they are receiving an original ticket price without a resale markup, or at a minimum may convey a level of reliability not warranted by the relationship between the third party and venue." However, nothing ever came of it, until Google took matters into its own hands. Broadway ticket resellers will no longer be allowed to employ a domain name that legitimises them as an official vendor or insinuates their affiliation with a venue. For example, Google will not allow advertisements for deceptive domain names such as "OfficialRichardRogers.com" or "MusicBoxTheatre.com".

This attempt to fight scalping will hopefully be fruitful in redirecting lost revenue back to Broadway producers, as well as giving online customers greater confidence in their purchases. But until then... good luck with the lotto!

Real the full Forbes article here.