"Christmas came early for concertgoers" — Internet celebrates federal rule banning hidden fees on live events and hotels

In a move celebrated across the internet, the federal government has officially announced a groundbreaking rule, banning hidden fees on live event tickets and hotel bookings.

On December 17, 2024, the United States Federal Trade Commission passed a rule requiring all ticket sellers, hotels, and vacation rental sites to disclose all "hidden fees," including upfront fees, prohibiting them from concealing add-on charges until the last minute.

This new regulation brings long-awaited transparency to pricing, ensuring that consumers no longer face surprise charges at checkout.

As a result, netizens on X indicated that the celebration of Christmas has arrived early —

"Christmas came early for concertgoers," one commented.

Furthermore, numerous users on X have expressed concern, stating that destination fees are a scam and that hidden fees are illegal.

Many welcomed the government's decision to ban such fees, expressing relief over the move:

"Destination fees are a scam and "hidden" fees should be illegal. I'm glad they're doing this," a user on X commented.

"thank god, i was legit paying 1/3 of my ticket price in hidden fees," another commented.

"I wish they would just get rid of the BS extra fees in the first place. Resort fees never use to be a thing! 😒," a netizen commented.

However, some users voiced frustration, arguing that the ban should have been implemented earlier, as it could have prevented them from overspending on hidden fees —

"How it should've been from the start!," a netizen commented.

"Why wasn't this enforced a long time ago !?" one more wrote on X.

"I mean it's not like they didn't show at the final final checkout. It's just gonna get absorbed into the total cost," another commented.

As of now, the United States Federal Trade Commission has yet to respond to the online reactions, and no ticketing platform has stated the news.

---

No more hidden fees for events and hotels under new rule by the United States Federal Commission

Lina Khan (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

On Tuesday, December 17, 2024, the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) passed a new rule affecting all ticket platforms and hotels, banning hidden fees on live event tickets and hotel bookings.

According to Reuters, this rule is part of President Joe Biden's broader initiative to eliminate junk fees that increase consumer costs without providing clear benefits.

In a statement, President Biden emphasized that these additional costs ultimately force Americans to pay more out of their own pocket:

"We all know the experience of encountering a hidden fee at the very last stage of checkout — these junk fees sneak onto your bill and companies end up making you pay more because they can. Those fees add up, taking real money out of the pockets of Americans," Biden said.

On Tuesday, FTC Chair Lina Khan also commented on the ruling, urging enforcers to continue targeting these unlawful fees:

"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," Khan said.

Khan further stated that ticket buyers deserve to know the full price upfront without being concerned about unexpected charges at checkout:

"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," Khan said.

In addition, Khan highlighted that the new rule would apply to tickets, hotels, and vacation rentals, encouraging these industries to eliminate hidden fees.

According to USA Today, the FTC's new ruling is expected to save consumers up to $11 billion over the next decade and reduce the burden of wasted time by 53 million hours annually. The rule will officially take effect in April 2025.