Quebec Government Pursues Action Against Ticket Resale Site Billets.ca

The Quebec government is taking action against ticket resales.

The province's Office of Consumer Protection announced Wednesday, Nov. 13, that the Director of Penal and Criminal Prosecutions has served 26 statements of infraction to Billets.ca.

If proven guilty, each infraction could merit a fine between $2,000 and $100,000 for the company, and between $600 and $15,000 for President Éric Bussières.

The Office is accusing Billets.ca of reselling tickets at higher prices than those advertised by authorized salespersons. It also charges that the site is reselling tickets it does not possess. The infractions took place between November 2022 and September 2023.

Ticket resales have become an increasingly hot topic in the industry. Ticketmaster issued a warning in advance of Oasis' North American tour dates going on sale, advising consumers not to trust resale sites that were already advertising tickets. The ticketing giant has also faced allegations in the past of working with resale sites.

Earlier this year, over 250 artists signed a letter titled Fix the Tix, addressing American legislators. "Predatory resellers have gone unregulated while siphoning money from the live entertainment ecosystem for their sole benefit," the letter stated.

Quebec's Loi sur la protection du consommateur forbids sellers from boosting prices during resales without express permission from the original authorized vendor. It also prohibits the use of technology to bypass controls on obtaining tickets. Sites like Billets.ca have often skirted these rules by acting as a broker for individual sellers, instead of selling the tickets themselves.

Quebec music association ADISQ welcomed the news.

"It's a relief to see charges finally laid against Billets.ca and the practice of fraudulent ticket resale,” says Eve Paré, Executive Director of ADISQ, in French.

ADISQ states that it has made numerous complaints to Quebec's Office of Consumer Protection regarding unauthorized ticket resales.

ADISQ notes that it is also eagerly awaiting the outcome of a class action lawsuit filed against Billets.ca on October 13, 2023.