Top NJ and NY prosecutors announce investigation of World Cup ticket prices

The top prosecutors of New Jersey and New York announced Wednesday they’ve launched an investigation into FIFA’s ticket selling practices in the latest escalation of tensions between soccer’s international governing body and the governments of the region that will host the World Cup.

New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and New York State Attorney General Letitia James in a rare joint press release said they plan to probe “a range of issues that have arisen with FIFA’s ticketing process,” including dynamic pricing that’s driven the cost of the most in-demand tickets to five figures. The attorneys general said they issued subpoenas to FIFA for details about their ticketing practices.

“Being honest about ticket sales is not complicated. But FIFA has turned buying a ticket to the World Cup into a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity, and impossibly high prices — all at the expense of consumers and hardworking New Jerseyans,” Davenport said in a statement. “It’s an honor to host the World Cup, but the event is not an invitation to exploit our residents and visitors.”

The announcement comes after months of back-and-forth between Davenport’s boss, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, and FIFA leaders.

Prosecutors do not typically announce when they launch investigations.

Sherrill inherited the tournament from her predecessor, Phil Murphy, an avid soccer fan and fellow Democrat. Since then, she’s stressed the need for the state to recoup millions it’s spent on infrastructure, security and stadium upgrades for the eight matches that will be played in June and July at MetLife Stadium, temporarily renamed New York New Jersey Stadium at FIFA’s behest.

Sherrill got into a war of words with the soccer organization when her administration announced $150 train ticket prices for fans traveling to the Meadowlands stadium for the matches the state is hosting, many of whom will be staying in New York City, which is not hosting any games. New Jersey has reduced those tickets to $98 thanks to private sponsorships. But the fight has persisted, with FIFA and the region’s World Cup host committee agreeing to make 1,000 $50 game tickets for New York City residents — a clear snub of New Jersey.

Davenport and James cited reports of fans who purchased tickets early alleging they were misled about where their seats would be. For instance, according to The Athletic, fans who purchased the most desirable Category 1 seats later learned that FIFA had created a new subcategory of “front” zone tickets, effectively downgrading the seats fans had already purchased.

The attorneys general also cited FIFA’s use of dynamic pricing, or “variable pricing,” for most matches, increasing ticket prices by an average of 34 percent over a six-month period. According to The Athletic, the most expensive tickets, which started with a price of $6,730, ballooned to $10,990. They also cited complaints from some customers who claimed they purchased Category 1 tickets but were ultimately assigned seats in Category 2.

“New Yorkers have been waiting years for the World Cup to come to their backyard, and they deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets,” James said in a statement “No one should be manipulated into paying sky-high prices for seats, and fans should be able to trust that the tickets they purchase will be the ones they receive.”

A spokesperson for FIFA could not immediately be reached for comment.

المصدر: Politico