Nontransferable Ticketing Troublesome for Group Tour Providers

Paperless tickets sound like a great thing, but some have come with a hidden consequence that could have big implications for group tour operators. Many paperless tickets are restricted or nontransferable, meaning they can only be used by the person who bought them. If you're in the practice of buying a block of theater or sporting event tickets for your groups, restricted tickets could be a nightmare.

This is an issue decided on a state-by-state basis. Your state legislators can help protect you from ticketing companies' policies restricting ticket usage, but only if you contact them to let them know that it matters to you. Preventing scalping and stolen tickets is likely to sound good to legislators, and they may not be aware of other consequences created by nontransferable ticket sales policies. Some states have initiated laws prohibiting nontransferable ticket sales. Do you know your state's policy?

The American Bus Association outlines the problems restricted ticketing could cause those associated with the group tour industry here.

This article from TicketingJournal.com outlines how Ticketmaster's restricted paperless system has affected consumers.