Ticket scalpers use Google advertising to deceive fans. Consumers are confusingly clicking on ads from scalpers that look as though they are coming from the event producer. Fans click on ads and unwittingly buy tickets from scalpers at inflated prices or that don’t even exist. Let’s make it more challenging for predatory resellers who disingenuously use Google Ads to defraud ticket buyers, venues, and artists.

Join Bauer Entertainment Marketing in encouraging Google to reduce consumer confusion by differentiating ads served by legitimate primary ticket sellers from those ads hosted by scalpers.

To sell tickets with Google, advertisers must apply for Google’s Event Ticket Seller Certification. Although the application requires advertisers to identify themselves as the primary or secondary source of tickets, this is not made clear to fans. The ads essentially look the same. Primary sellers can use the word “official” in their ad copy, but that is not enough to prevent the public from mistakenly purchasing tickets from a scalper who intentionally designs their ads and landing pages to look like they’re the primary provider.

Google must update its Event Ticket Seller Certification submission process to ensure that ads from primary ticket sellers are clearly recognized by fans as the only legitimate source for tickets. A visual signifier such as a blue checkmark will reduce consumer confusion and elevate trust in Google. Let’s help Google deliver a better experience for event advertisers and ticket buyers. 

Sign this petition to show Google how important it is to make this relatively minor yet massively impactful update to its advertising system.