In the latest confrontation between lawmakers and the ticketing giant, Canada’s New Democratic Party is demanding a federal investigation into Ticketmaster’s practices following widespread complaints about Taylor Swift concert ticket sales.

NDP Innovation critic Brian Masse has called on Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne to launch a probe into what he describes as predatory pricing practices, citing the company’s dominant market position and controversial dynamic pricing model.

“Instead of loyal fans getting fair access to concerts, scalpers and bots have scooped up tickets only to resell them for thousands of dollars,” Masse said in his letter to the minister. The criticism comes as Swift’s highly anticipated Eras Tour heads to Canadian venues, where tickets have become nearly impossible for average consumers to obtain at face value.

The push for investigation highlights Ticketmaster’s complex role as both primary seller and resale platform operator – a dual position that critics argue creates little incentive to crack down on scalping. This scrutiny mirrors recent developments in the United States, where an ongoing antitrust lawsuit seeks to break up Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation.

The controversy has expanded beyond ticket sales, with reports of hotels in Vancouver and Toronto dramatically increasing rates during Swift’s scheduled performances. “This price gouging extends throughout the entertainment ecosystem,” Masse noted, while criticizing these establishments for “failing to give their workers a fair deal” despite the windfall.

While the Liberal government promised in Budget 2024 to work with provinces on implementing ticket sale best practices, Masse dismissed these efforts as insufficient. “Anyone who has tried to buy a concert ticket recently can tell you this has been a failure,” he stated.

The call for investigation comes amid existing legal challenges facing Ticketmaster in Canada, including class-action lawsuits over pandemic-related refund delays. Meanwhile, Canadian Swift fans have launched a petition demanding changes to Ticketmaster’s reseller policies and Verified Fan system.

The Competition Bureau last examined Ticketmaster’s practices in 2019, but critics argue stronger action is needed to protect consumers in today’s digital ticket marketplace.