Taylor Swift fans demand intervention after ticket exploitation ran rampant in Ontario

A petition has been launched due to inflated ticket prices that occurred during this month’s Taylor Swift concerts in Toronto.

The appeal, launched on change.org by Etobicoke Resident Shannon McKarney, aims to confront the grim reality of ticket reselling in Ontario.

During Taylor Swift’s Era Tour in Toronto, McKarney notes that most Canadians had no chance of acquiring tickets due to a massive spike in ticket purchase/resale incentives.

“People weren’t able to get tickets and that became a great opportunity for the resellers because there was just an incredibly high demand,” McKarney told INsauga.com.

As a byproduct of the global desire for the pop phenomenon, when tickets appeared on resale platforms like StubHub in Ontario, McKarney notes that they averaged 40 per cent or more than their initial market price — around $2,000 per ticket.

With a 15-year-old superfan to look after, McKarney leveraged her options to not miss what many deem a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“We all managed to get tickets elsewhere, and at face value. Then, we travelled overseas to shows in Europe, which ended up being less expensive than if we were to buy tickets for the Toronto concert,” she says.

Upon her return from across the Atlantic, McKarney was inspired to challenge the provincial government and demand regulation of concert ticket resales in Ontario.

Launched on Nov. 19, McKarney’s petition highlights pitfalls the average Ontario consumer can encounter when navigating the concert ticket resale process, alongside information on what the government can do (or isn’t doing) to protect concertgoers.

“There’s just no consumer protections. The Liberal government had a few in place back in 2017, however, Doug Ford immediately canceled these incentives in 2018, removing any chance for some protection,” says McKarney.

These now-defunct policies capped ticket resale prices at 50 per cent of their base purchase value.

At the time of publication, McKarney’s petition has nearly 12,000 signatures, with the first goal being 15,000.

McKarney isn’t shy to note that this upward trend in signatures is likely due to other ‘Swifties’ who were also forced into missing the Toronto show or strongarmed to shell out thousands of dollars per ticket.

“They wait in queues and by the time they get there, they are sold out. So, there is that initial frustration combined with the opaque nature of groups like Ticketmaster and their ‘verified fan’ status, so it’s been extremely frustrating for so many people,” she says.

According to Ticketmaster, the ‘verified fan’ process ensures that ticket purchasers jump through several hoops to prove they do not intend to scalp tickets related to the show.

Combine this lengthy certification process that stalls ticket purchasing, the outlandish cost of resale tickets, and the wave of scams that cost Ontarians thousands of dollars, and you get one incredibly frustrated fan base.

“I could go on and on about watching all of these people get scammed in real time just because they want to go to a concert. Vancouver recently dropped seats for all three nights of their slate of concerts, all of which are behind the stage,” she says.

“It was incredible, as they were $16 each due to their positioning now on StubHub, they’re going for as high as $4,000.”

McKarney remains hopeful that if the petition stays its course,  she will be able to catch the attention of authorities like the Competition Bureau and begin the process of consumer protection reform.

However, until then, caution remains a tool in McKarney’s arsenal, indicating that this pattern will not likely stop at just one touring artist—as the money is just too good for those exploiting the system.

“It’s as exploitative as it can get, making money off of joy and other people’s experiences. It’s not just making money; it’s gouging money.”