Ticketmaster, New Jersey reach deal on Bruce Springsteen ticket debacle

Ticketmaster reached a settlement today with the New Jersey Attorney General following an investigation into its practice of linking Bruce Springsteen concert ticket buyers to TicketsNow, a subsidiary that sells higher priced tickets, reported Reuters.

Earlier this month, more than 2,000 people complained that Ticketmaster's website redirected them to TicketsNow even though Springteen tickets were still available at face value. TicketsNow allegedly featured tickets at prices ranging from $200 to $5000 for $65 or $95 dollar tickets.

Under the agreement, Ticketmaster will hold a lottery that will allow 1000 dissatisfied buyers the opportunity to buy two face value Springsteen tickets. Those not selected for the lottery will receive a $100 Ticketmaster gift certificate and an opportunity to buy future Springsteen tickets in advance of general sales.

The settlement also requires Ticketmaster to pay $350,000 to the state to cover costs of the investigation and to stop automatically sending people to TicketsNow when Googling Ticketmaster for tickets.