Mason Cracks Down on Junk Fees, Price Gouging Schemes with New Affordability Laws

GURNEE, Ill. — Major affordability measures cracking down on hidden junk fees and price gouging schemes are now law, thanks to the work of state Rep. Joyce Mason, D-Gurnee.

“We’ve all been there: adding an item to your cart, going to check out, only to find out the total has spiked due to extra ‘fees’. Or waiting in the queue for concert tickets, and when you finally get in, all the seats are gone or the price per seat is way more than you expected. It’s not fair. You end up either not making the purchase, or paying way more than you should have. That’s exactly what we’re preventing with these new laws,” said Mason.

Often disguised as “convenience” or “processing” fees, hidden junk fees cost families around $3,000 every year, according to consumer reports, driving the affordability crisis and making everyday purchases more expensive.

Mason worked to crack down on these hidden fees by backing House Bill 228, which is now law. The measure requires businesses to display all mandatory fees and charges they are adding on top of a purchase price and gives the attorney general’s office more authority to hold businesses accountable for not disclosing surprise fees.

Mason also worked to expand protections for people buying tickets to concerts, shows, and sporting events. House Bill 4984 prohibits resellers from offering the sale of tickets they do not actually possess. This law is a response to high-profile reports of abusive practices perpetrated by ticket resellers and AI-powered “bot farms” purchasing mass amounts of event tickets to be resold at two or three times the face value. Additionally, Mason co-sponsored Senate Bill 318, which bans the use of bots to buy tickets in excess of posted limits of online ticket sales or to circumvent electronic queues and other waiting periods. 

These measures are now law.