cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/56535496
The Quebec Superior Court has authorized a class-action lawsuit against Ticketmaster that accuses the American company of charging abusive service fees on ticket sales.
In a ruling dated Monday, Justice Eleni Yiannakis said the plaintiffs met the conditions for a full trial and that compensatory refunds would be allowed if they win the case.
The class action filed by Montreal law firm Paquette Gadler says the service fees charged by Ticketmaster violate Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act and the Quebec Civil Code.
The lawsuit says Ticketmaster’s fees fluctuate based on ticket prices rather than the actual cost of the service provided, a pricing scheme the law firm says is abusive.
It was filed in August 2024 on behalf of plaintiff Felipe Morales, and members include Quebecers who have bought tickets through Ticketmaster to North American shows since July 2021.
Ticketmaster, which sells tickets to concerts, sporting events and other shows around the world, did not immediately return a request for comment on Monday’s ruling.
It’s pretty bad not just for consumers, but producers as well. Small artists that want to do shows in a venue have to do through ticketmaster. They don’t have a choice. And the extra fees means they have to either cut down their prices to a point where they’re at a loss, or risk not having enough sales to make any money. That company is a God damn predator on the art scene.