Great Lakes Wire

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has initiated an investigation into Pure Tonic Marketing Ltd., believed to be based in Seychelles, and the operator of Ticket Squeeze. The probe focuses on allegations of a ticket resale scheme targeting consumers purchasing tickets for events at the University of Michigan's Hill Auditorium.

According to the Attorney General's petition, Pure Tonic operated the website thehillauditorium.com, which appeared as if it were the official site for Hill Auditorium but was unrelated to either the venue or university. Users were reportedly redirected from this site to ticketsqueeze.com, where tickets were allegedly sold at inflated prices under misleading labels such as "cheaper" or "low" rates.

The University Musical Society (UMS), a non-profit performing arts presenter affiliated with the University of Michigan, initially filed a complaint with the Department of Attorney General. UMS presents performances at Hill Auditorium and sells tickets through its official website.

One consumer reported paying $1,263.95 for two Berlin Philharmonic performance tickets through Ticket Squeeze's platform, whereas they were priced at $175 each on UMS's official site.

While Hill Auditorium was central to the initial complaint, other venues may also have been targeted by this alleged scheme. The Department aims to uncover whether additional imposter websites have been employed by these entities across Michigan.

“Misleading customers into thinking they are purchasing tickets from a trusted source while charging them excessively high prices is unlawful,” said Nessel. “I appreciate the University Musical Society for bringing this matter to our attention."

Sara Billmann from UMS commented on how ticket resellers affect both customers and nonprofit arts organizations financially and reputationally: "We are grateful to the Attorney General's office for taking these complaints seriously."

In 2024, following a domain dispute won by the University of Michigan against Pure Tonic concerning their use of a similar domain name that redirected users improperly, another website—annarborconcerts.com—allegedly began engaging in similar practices.

The petition claims probable cause that Pure Tonic and Ticket Squeeze violated provisions of Michigan’s Consumer Protection Act regarding grossly excessive pricing and impersonating governmental entities.

Attorney General Nessel reissued her Online Ticket Purchasing consumer alert with tips:

- Know your vendor.

- Conduct research before purchasing.

- Use credit cards for online transactions.

- Shop securely online.

Consumers can file complaints or seek more information via contact details provided by Nessel’s office.