Ticketmaster faces Quebec class action lawsuit after court rules service fees may be unreasonable

Ticketmaster is facing a class action lawsuit in Quebec after the province’s Superior Court ruled that a consumer claim challenging the company’s service fees can proceed to a full trial. The lawsuit alleges that ticketmaster’s pricing model violates Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act and the Civil Code by charging service fees that are not linked to the actual cost of the services provided. The case was filed on behalf of a Montreal resident and could affect thousands of ticket buyers across the province if the court ultimately rules in favour of consumers. This is reported by San Francisco News, citing festival organisers and Economic times.

Why the court allowed the case against ticketmaster to proceed

The Quebec Superior Court ruled that the proposed class action meets the legal threshold required to move to trial. The decision does not determine whether ticketmaster broke the law, but confirms that the claims raise serious legal questions under provincial consumer legislation.

In its ruling, the court accepted that the lawsuit raises issues that warrant judicial review, including whether service fees are calculated in a way that complies with Quebec law. According to court documents, the case centres on whether ticketmaster’s fees reflect actual service costs or are instead tied to ticket prices in a way that may be unlawful.

The plaintiffs argue that this practice potentially affects a large group of consumers. The lawsuit states that

“it is reasonable to infer that the Main Class and the Consumer Class are composed of thousands of persons”.

What exactly ticketmaster is accused of doing

According to the statement of claim, ticketmaster’s service fee model is challenged on several specific grounds. The lawsuit argues that the fees:

• are calculated as a percentage of the ticket’s face value rather than the real cost of services provided;
• increase automatically when ticket prices rise, even if service costs remain unchanged;
• are not sufficiently justified or itemised for consumers at the point of sale;
• result in a final price that significantly exceeds the advertised ticket value.

In the legal filing, the fee structure is described as

“excessive, unreasonable, abusive and disproportionate”.

The plaintiffs argue that such pricing may breach both the Consumer Protection Act and the Quebec Civil Code, which require that additional charges be fair, justified and clearly explained.

The Bruce Springsteen ticket purchase cited in the lawsuit

The case is based on the experience of Felipe Morales, a Montreal-based immigration lawyer, who attempted to purchase concert tickets through ticketmaster in 2022.

Morales selected four floor seats for a Bruce Springsteen concert, each priced at $225. According to the lawsuit, the transaction failed during checkout. The court filing states:

“When the Plaintiff attempted to finalize his purchase, he received a message to the effect that his ‘transaction could not be finalized’.”

When Morales returned to the site shortly afterwards, the original seats were no longer available. He then selected different seats located farther from the stage. The final cost increased sharply.

According to the lawsuit, Morales paid approximately $1,000 per ticket, plus $599 in service fees. The fees represented about 15% of the total transaction value, which exceeded $4,000. The complaint notes that the replacement seats were worse than the original selection despite the significantly higher price.

Who is included in the class action

The proposed class action covers Quebec residents who purchased tickets through ticketmaster’s Canadian entities from July 26, 2021 onward. Four ticketmaster-related companies are named as defendants, including Canadian subsidiaries and the U.S.-based Ticketmaster LLC.

The lawsuit also references ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, pointing to what it describes as a highly concentrated ticketing market. According to the filing,

“the global and regional situation… is monopolistic and this only reinforces the need to ensure that the Defendants comply with their legal obligations”.

ticketmaster’s response as legal pressure grows

ticketmaster has previously defended its service fee structure in response to similar lawsuits. In past statements, the company said that service fees are shared between ticketmaster and venues and are used to cover operational costs.

A company spokesperson has said:

“Ticketmaster’s share of service fees is typically around 5–7% of the total ticket price.”

The company has also argued that its pricing approach prioritises transparency. In earlier comments, ticketmaster stated:

“We believe the most fair and transparent approach is showing fans the total cost upfront.”

ticketmaster did not issue a new public statement immediately following the Quebec court ruling.

What happens next

With the class action approved to proceed, the next phase will involve a full trial where plaintiffs will attempt to prove that ticketmaster’s service fees violate Quebec law. A trial date has not yet been set.

If the court ultimately rules in favour of consumers, ticketmaster could be ordered to refund part of the service fees or pay damages to affected buyers. For now, the ruling means only that the lawsuit can move forward to be examined on its merits.

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