Have you ever tried to resell your game tickets, only to realize that the ticket company’s fine print doesn’t allow resale?

Or have you ever shown up at the stadium without the credit card you bought the ticket with — only to be turned away by the venue?

It’s frustrating, it’s unfair, it’s totally anti-fan — and right now, it’s all completely legal in too many states.

It’s crazy! What we do with our own tickets should be our own choice, not the choice of some greedy ticket companies. Thankfully, that’s exactly the stance of a few brave legislators in Maryland and Virginia.

Last week, Maryland Delegate Bill Frick introduced a bill that puts ticket resale choices back in the hands of fans. Virginia state delegate Matt Albo introduced a similar bill last month that passed the state House and is now being considered in the Virginia Senate.

Albo felt the sting of the ticket swindle as a fan firsthand. He’s a metalhead who was screwed over by Ticketmaster when he couldn’t resell tickets to an Iron Maiden concert after he realized he couldn’t make the event. It frustrated him that he had to eat the cost of the tickets.

If this story sounds familiar, you should know that the one good thing to come of Albo’s lousy situation is that he went to work and drafted up a bill to ban such anti-fan policies.

Ticketmaster says its policies are meant to protect consumers by preventing scalpers from buying up hordes of tickets and jacking up the prices. And that’s all good in theory. But their current super-restrictive policies go about it in the wrong way.

Fans deserve a safe, legal, and easy way to buy, sell, and give away their tickets as they please. But right now, only Colorado and New York have fan-friendly ticket laws on the books. Maryland and Virginia could soon join them, and with these states, we’d be on our way to take these fights nationwide.

Want to help? If you’re in Maryland, sign this petition from our friends at My Ticket My Choice to demand fair ticket practices for all fans in the Free State.

Live in another state with restrictive ticket practices? Write to your state legislators and ask them to sponsor pro-fan legislation so that the next time you need to resell your tickets, you don’t get screwed over by the ticket companies.