US Justice and Trade Agencies Sue San Diego Ticket Reseller Over $120 Million Scheme

The Department of Justice together with the Federal Trade Commission has sued San Diego-based ticket broker REPS & Co, alleging the company and several executives broke federal law to earn more than $120 million by reselling concert tickets. According to the complaint, REPS opened thousands of accounts on Ticketmaster, AXS and similar services, evading purchase caps and buying tickets for about 83,500 events, totaling 18.6 million tickets.

Specific examples include the use of roughly 1,300 accounts to secure 7,624 tickets for Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour at Arrowhead Stadium, netting $833,323, and 700 accounts to obtain 5,430 Pitbull tickets at Empower FCU Amphitheater, earning over $120,000. The firms allegedly hired purchasers in the Philippines and concealed their IP addresses with VPNs. FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection director Christopher Mufarrige said the business model intentionally inflates prices and blocks fans from affordable tickets. The lawsuit arrives amid heightened federal scrutiny of the secondary ticket market, following recent executive orders and actions against Live Nation.