Taylor Swift Fans Head to Court for Ticketmaster Lawsuit’s First Hearing

Taylor Swift fans from different parts of the country traveled to a Los Angeles court Monday to testify in a federal civil lawsuit against Ticketmaster.

In the lawsuit filed in December, more than 300 plaintiffs accused the ticketing giant and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, of fraud, misleading buyers, price-fixing, fraud, and antitrust-law violations, while selling advance tickets to the pop superstar's "Eras Tour."

According to CNN, Monday's hearing discussed the class action status, and though the defense camp is not expecting to ask for class action, they asked to reserve the right to do so.

Arguments heard in court by disappointed fans are mostly procedural. Each complainant has asked Ticketmaster to pay them $2,500 in damages.

However, Salt Lake City resident and lead plaintiff Julie Barfuss noted that the case is about providing regular fans with a more convenient way to see their favorite artists.

"I tried 41 times that first day to get tickets. It kicks you out into the queue, and you're back in, and then I kept getting errors," Barfuss told CNN, adding that she tried it again the next day for another couple of hours, and when she was allowed to enter and went to purchase the tickets, she discovered they cost something like $1,400.

The ticketing giant wants to use a motion to compel arbitration to get the prosecution to settle the case without going to court.

There are reportedly 340 plaintiffs; thus, the plaintiffs' lawyer has until the end of the month to give email addresses to all of them.

What Caused the Botched Ticketmaster Ticket Sale?

Lead plaintiffs' counsels John Genga and Jennifer Kinder said they were joined by many additional plaintiffs who had flown in from different parts of the United States.

According to the attorneys, the plaintiffs are fans who believe the ticket-purchasing procedure is flawed and fraudulent. The lawyers said Taylor Swift fans hope this will be a watershed moment in the fight against monopolies.

Swift's "Eras Tour," her first in five years, had its tickets released in the fall. It prompted antitrust law investigations and a Senate hearing in January, where Live Nation president and CFO Joe Berchtold apologized for the ticketing chaos.

The suit, filed in December, alleged that Live Nation and Ticketmaster's 2010 merger unjustly eliminated competition in the live events ticketing market, allowing the companies to set outrageous rates, according to ABC News.

Live Nation claimed in court documents filed last month that ticket buyers had agreed many times during online shopping for tickets that any disputes would be resolved through private arbitration rather than in court.

Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour' Ticket Sale Scandal, Prompted Some Artists for Better Solutions

Some artists are searching for more methods to prevent fans from being gouged because of Taylor Swift's ticketing fiasco, which has pushed ticketing issues to the forefront of the discourse in the industry, Rolling Stone reported.

After voicing his displeasure with Ticketmaster, upcoming "Burn Burn Burn" tour headliner Zach Bryan has implemented non-transferable tickets to protect his fans from being overcharged by scalpers.

The Cure also disapproved of using dynamic pricing to curb primary market price increases.

Robert Smith expressed his displeasure with the situation, leading to partial reimbursements for those whose fees exceeded the face value of their tickets.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Taylor Swift Fans Head to Court Over Ticketmaster Lawsuit - From Good Morning America