The Fight Against Hidden ‘Convenience’ Fees Begins in Connecticut

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has announced that he is urging lawmakers to consider a new bill that will try to prohibit hidden 'convenience fees' for concerts and events, hotel stays, and food and beverage services.

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How many times have you said "I'd love to go, but I can't afford it" recently? Maybe it was after you noticed that your $55 concert ticket is now $90 at checkout?  It's all those 'convenience fees' -  extra charges that are tacked on without explanation for all of us who buy concert or event tickets, hotel rooms, and use food and beverage services.

You've seen them on itemized receipts - Restoration Fee - $5, Electrical Convenience Surcharge - $7, Removal of Solid Waste after 9th Inning - $8, etc. Is this the owner/operator padding their bottom line at our expense? Are some hidden fees justified? Absolutely, but the practice has become predatory.

Governor Lamont has submitted Senate Bill 15, An Act Requiring Fee Disclosure, which was unanimously approved by members of the General Law Committee last week. The Bill now awaits the General Assembly. Lamont said -

"We are increasingly seeing situations in which a product or service is being advertised at a low price and then when a consumer gets to the very end of their transaction that price suddenly increases with any number of mandatory fees being tacked on, and frequently consumers will complete their purchase without even realizing that the price jumped until well after it has already been finalized. This proposal simply says that the price of a product or service cannot be misrepresented to consumers. Upfront pricing will ensure that consumers are able to make well-informed purchases, and it levels the playing field among competitors in these industries by requiring that they all be honest and transparent on the cost of their products and services from the get go."

Public Act 23-98 took effect on October 1, 2023, which requires upfront disclosure of live event ticket pricing, but some savvy Connecticut consumers have alerted the state that some ticketing platforms are non-compliant. Are the days of $300 concert tickets going away? Absolutely not, but the days of $150 tickets at $300 final sale may be numbered.