The underground world of restaurant reservations re-sold by third-party websites could soon become illegal in California under a new bill proposed by Assemblymember Catherine Stefani (D-San Francisco).
Assembly Bill 1245, the California Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act, would prohibit third-party websites from selling unauthorized reservations. In many cases, coveted bookings scooped up by bots are sold for higher prices on black market websites , which can result in no-shows, lost revenue and frustration for restaurants.
“AB 1245 will crack down on the predatory practice of reservation scalping, which not only deceives consumers but also exploits our local restaurants who are still struggling to recover from the pandemic,” Stefani said in a press release. “By protecting these businesses from fraud and unfair competition, we are ensuring they can focus on what truly matters—serving their customers, creating jobs, and driving our economic recovery.”…