Here’s something everyone can agree on: junk fees stink. And now, thanks to the Federal Trade Commission, they’re illegal. The FTC announced on Tuesday that hidden surprise charges for “live-event ticketing and short-term lodging industries,” which includes concerts and hotels, are prohibited.
According to a press release, The Junk Fees Rule ensures that “pricing information is presented in a timely, transparent, and truthful way to consumers of live-event tickets and short-term lodging, two industries whose pricing practices the Commission has studied in particular.” The proposal was passed 4 to 1, the only holdout being Andrew Ferguson, a Republican who Donald Trump plans to nominate as FTC lead once he takes office in 2025.
“People deserve to know up-front what they’re being asked to pay—without worrying that they’ll later be saddled with mysterious fees that they haven’t budgeted for and can’t avoid,” FTC chair Lina M. Khan said. “The FTC’s rule will put an end to junk fees around live event tickets, hotels, and vacation rentals, saving Americans billions of dollars and millions of hours in wasted time. I urge enforcers to continue cracking down on these unlawful fees and encourage state and federal policymakers to build on this success with legislation that bans unfair and deceptive junk fees across the economy.”
You can find out more here.
