PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Ticket resale website Vivid Seats is the target of a consumer protection lawsuit filed by seven Pennsylvania district attorneys who accuse the company of deceptive business practices.
The 31-page suit was initially filed by the Monroe County District Attorney, with six others joining in, including Bucks and Montgomery counties.
It alleges that Vivid Seats uses deceptive and unfair practices on both the website and app by not revealing fees until the user has entered identifying information, and placing those fees where the user likely won’t notice them, while showing a ticking clock that says “act fast,” which the suit alleges forces the user to rush, limiting the ability to make an informed decision.
“After people have invested very valuable time, there's a bait and switch,” said Bucks County DA Joe Khan. “And as people are about to check out, they throw these junk fees on consumers who can't get that time back and in many cases succumb to that pressure to pay those junk fees.”
The suit is asking for an immediate injunction. Khan says that while it also seeks fines and restitution, this is “ultimately about getting this company to knock it off.”
“And this is about sending a message that these junk fees, whether you're selling tickets or involved in anything else, it's not fair to the consumer,” Khan added.
