31 July 2024. The District of Columbia has filed a lawsuit against StubHub, Inc. (StubHub), accusing the company of violating the District’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA). This lawsuit aims to put an end to StubHub’s unfair and deceptive practice of charging hidden junk fees to consumers purchasing tickets on its website and mobile application. Consumer protection lawyers at Tycko & Zavareei LLP, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General, are representing the District of Columbia, as they have previously successfully represented California consumers against the ticket reseller.
Complaint Overview
StubHub, an online marketplace where consumers can buy and sell tickets for a variety of live entertainment events, has been allegedly using digital “dark patterns” to mislead consumers. These online practices trick or manipulate consumers into making choices they would not otherwise make, obscuring the true price of tickets. This prevents consumers from making informed decisions and engaging in comparison shopping.
Specifically, the complaint highlights three main deceptive practices by StubHub: drip pricing, fee misrepresentation, and inaccurate fee filters. These deceptive practices significantly and disproportionately affect consumers in the District of Columbia because of the high number of tickets sold in the District, violating the CPPA’s prohibition against unfair, misleading, and deceptive trade practices in the offer, sale, and supply of consumer goods and services.
The District of Columbia is represented by attorneys Hassan Zavareei, Peter Silva, Shana Khader, Shilpa Sadhasivam, Annick M. Persinger, and Cort Carlson of the prominent consumer rights law firm Tycko & Zavareei LLP, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General.
The District seeks injunctive relief to remedy StubHub’s violations of the CPPA, as well as restitution, statutory civil penalties, and attorney’s fees.
“Consumers deserve transparency and honesty, especially when spending their hard-earned money on entertainment. StubHub’s practices obscure the true cost of tickets and prevent consumers from making informed decisions. We will fight to ensure that StubHub is held accountable for its deceptive actions and that District consumers are protected,” said Peter Silva, Of Counsel.
The case is District of Columbia v. StubHub, Inc. in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Read the press release and Complaint on the DC OAG website