Ticketmaster fined for deceptive practices, agrees to play nice

Ticketmaster is facing a $50,000 fine and a change in how it does business

after an Illinois Attorney General investigation found that the company had not clearly told customers they were paying marked up ticket prices.

As part of the agreement, TicketsNow, owned by Ticketmaster, will also close 100 websites that tricked customers into believing that they were purchasing directly from the concert venue.

Though the $50,000 fine is relatively small (perhaps convenience fees will triple it), the biggest win is for consumers. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan stated, "This agreement will substantially impact how the TicketsNow online brokers market popular event tickets so that consumers clearly understand that they are making purchases from a ticket reseller at marked-up rates."