The Federal Trade Commission filed suit against ticket reseller Key Investment Group, accusing it of evading purchase limits to scoop up thousands of tickets for concerts including Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.The agency said the Maryland-based company used thousands of Ticketmaster accounts—many fake or purchased—to buy tickets in bulk and resell them at steep markups.
In one instance, Key Investment used 49 accounts to secure 273 tickets for a Swift show, bypassing Ticketmaster’s six-ticket-per-buyer rule, according to the complaint.FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson said the case sends a clear signal that regulators will pursue companies undermining consumer protections.
Ticketmaster faced public criticism during 2022 after its systems collapsed from excessive Swift ticket requests which led to multiple lawsuits and congressional investigations. The FTC suit functions as part of the Trump administration’s initiative to combat abusive resale practices.
Key Investment has denied wrongdoing, arguing it did not use automated bots and therefore did not violate the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act.The FTC disagrees, charging the company and three executives with violating both the BOTS Act and the FTC Act, which bans deceptive business practices.
The case strengthens the existing criticism against Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation because they face an antitrust lawsuit that accuses them of monopolizing the market.
