North Texans have been amongst the tens of millions of Taylor Swift followers annoyed after they could not get tickets to her most up-to-date tour. The drama that unfolded make clear a broader problem with ticketing methods for occasions and stay performances.

The issue stems from bots, or automated packages, shopping for up a bunch of tickets after which reselling them for an exorbitant sum of money on secondary markets.

Thursday afternoon, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) sat down with leaders from prime D-FW sports activities groups and music venues to get their enter as he crafts a bit of laws to deal with the problem.

“These enterprises wouldn’t exist with out the followers, so we have got to care for the followers, and from a pure shopper safety standpoint, this isn’t one thing we must always tolerate,” mentioned Cornyn who agreed the debacle that occurred with tickets gross sales for Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” was what introduced consideration to the subject. “All of this in fact causes hurt not solely to the followers however to the performers who’re really attempting to make the fan expertise optimum.”

Amongst the panel of executives included a Taylor Swift fan who additionally had a tricky time getting tickets. Kate Testone, who’s from Austin however is a junior on the College of Arkansas learning psychology, defined how she’s been a Swiftie since she was 5-years-old, and was excited concerning the new tour.

“Once we’re speaking concerning the ‘Period’s Tour’, we’re speaking concerning the eras of Taylor’s profession, however for myself, this was the eras of my life and I grew up together with her. Her music has been an enormous a part of my life,” Testone mentioned as she described the thrill amongst her and her mates concerning the new tour. “Sadly, we’d not have been capable of anticipate the challenges that getting tickets would current.”

She described bother with the lengthy ready lists, the positioning crashing and solely discovering tickets on secondary markets.

“I wasn’t capable of get something however resale tickets, and so then you definitely’re round $450 for an obstructed view, which means you are not even watching her carry out, you are watching a jumbotron after which when you needed to be within the higher bowl you are $900, and as faculty college students, we’re not capable of pay that. I actually wasn’t, I eat Raman for each meal, so actually cannot draw up $450 for a ticket,” mentioned Testone.

Cornyn mentioned he is engaged on a bit of laws, referred to as FANS First Act, to curb these issues.

He mentioned it will name for extra transparency, requiring ticket distributors and resellers to reveal taxes, charges and refund insurance policies to shoppers.

It will additionally prohibit the usage of bots to buy tickets, prohibit speculative ticket gross sales that trick shoppers into believing they’re shopping for straight from an artist or venue and enact penalties for unhealthy actors.

“One of many issues we’re is enabling the Federal Commerce Fee, FTC, which is much more nimble and capable of tackle particular person instances by means of company motion. In order that’s the first means by which the enforcement or the implications can be delivered,” mentioned Cornyn who additionally mentioned the state Attorneys Basic might additionally impose civil penalties and create a reporting web site for fan complaints.

He mentioned he is working with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) who he labored with in 2020 on the ‘Save Our Phases’ invoice which helped present SBA grants to stay music venue operators who have been impacted by the shutdown through the pandemic.

“This can be a matter that has clearly captured the general public’s creativeness, they perceive it as a result of many have had a foul expertise with predatory ticket scalping, so I believe the general public is , and the visibility, the very fact this isn’t a partisan problem, that is one the place we’re attempting to guard the followers and defend the performers that it is one thing we ought to have the ability to get performed,” mentioned Cornyn.

It isn’t solely the followers who expertise frustration, the artists and venues say they obtain the backlash since individuals assume they’re those doing the value gauging after they’re not.

Texas nation music singer and songwriter Max Stalling defined it from his perspective.

“What occurs is that they’re mad, they arrive to the present as a result of they’ve already invested the cash, and so they stand there crossed-armed on the entrance of the stage and provides me the stink eye all evening as a result of they assume this man is above his elevating and the way he’s charging what ought to have been a $30 ticket, now it is a $60 ticket and, ‘Oh by the way in which there is a $20 handy price that bought tacked on on the finish.’ So not solely have I misplaced this fan shifting ahead, however in addition they say to themselves, ‘You already know what? I am not shopping for any of your silly T-shirts, I am not shopping for any of your different silly merch that you’ve got there that generates income,’ so it is sort of a double whammy,” mentioned Stalling who believes laws can be good.

Dave Brown, COO and Basic Supervisor on the American Airways Heart could be devastating for households who assume they’re about to take pleasure in an occasion.

“In internet hosting 60 to 70 main leisure occasions a yr, we see dozens of households coming to the field workplace with tickets which can be fraudulent, households coming to the field workplace with tickets which have been misrepresented, tickets that they overpaid for and it is little or no alternative on a sold-out present to try to assist them navigate that disappointment for his or her household,” mentioned Brown.

“We attempt on taking good care of our friends and we now have management on most elements on that, how our friends are taken care of, their security, how they’re handled after they come to the venue, however a component of our enterprise has taken that management away and it makes it look unhealthy for us, it turns into our downside, the artist downside and the reseller is nowhere to be discovered,” defined Brown.

“Our crew faces these points with brokers, secondary ticketing, bots anytime that we’re promoting tickets for any one in every of our occasions actually tonight isn’t any completely different whenever you’re within the Westerns Finals brokers are attempting to get entry to these tickets and market these tickets up at considerably larger costs,” mentioned Brad Alberts, President, Dallas Stars.

“These bots and the individuals behind them are those we’ve bought to care for and I believe when that occurs, we’ll see a serious distinction,” mentioned Doug Dawson, SVP of Stadium Income, Dallas Cowboys who believes penalties are wanted to see change.

Cornyn mentioned the subsequent step is to hunt different bi-partisan co-sponsors, then file a invoice within the Senate, then the Senate judiciary committee, get it to the Senate, and work with these within the Home to get it to the president’s desk.

Testone mentioned she nonetheless cannot shake it off that she missed the live performance, however hopes her suggestions from her expertise helps.

“I felt prefer it was vital as a result of I believe the fan’s perspective, is why we’re right here, we name it followers first for a cause and as somebody who was actually disillusioned not with the ability to go, I did not need to repeat when the subsequent tour comes out, I needed this downside to be mounted,” she mentioned.

Final Friday Gov. Abbott signed Senate Invoice 1639 that will prohibit bots from buying tickets.