CASE OF INTEREST

Contact Person:
Justin G. Puerta, Jr. (Sacramento County)
Deputy District Attorney
Consumer & Environmental Protection Division
(916) 874-6174

Re: People v. Ticketmaster L.L.C.
(Selling Gift Certificates With Expiration Dates)

Public Notice:
Ticketmaster gift certificates purchased in California never expire and may be redeemed for tickets at Ticket Centers in California at anytime, even if they have an expiration date.

District Attorney Jan Scully announced today the settlement of a civil lawsuit against Ticketmaster L.L.C. by the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office and the California Attorney General's Office. The lawsuit was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Justin G. Puerta, Jr. based upon an investigation by the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office.

The investigation revealed that Ticketmaster continued to have expiration dates for the use of its gift certificates in California after January 1, 1997, in violation of law.

Ticketmaster has agreed to a final judgment and the payment of civil penalties of $427,189, plus costs of $15,000. It has also agreed to redeem any gift certificate presented at any time to a place of redemption in or for California, which displays an expiration date that occurs before January 1, 2003.

Ticketmaster, by injunction, will not sell any gift certificate with an expiration date for use in California, pursuant to California law.

Deputy District Attorney Justin G. Puerta, Jr. stated, "This judgment will assure that California recipients of Ticketmaster gift certificates will be able to use their gift certificates even if they display an expiration date which has already expired.”
 

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