Competition Bureau Brings New "Drip Pricing" Case Against Ticketmaster

On January 25, 2018, the Competition Bureau has brought an application before the Competition Tribunal alleging that Ticketmaster, and its parent company Live Nation, misled consumers on the advertised prices for sports and other entertainment tickets by advertising prices that ultimately do not take into account additional fees that are only disclosed to consumers later in the purchasing process, a practice known as "drip pricing".

History of "Drip Pricing" Enforcement

"Drip pricing" has been a priority on the Competition Bureau's radar for a number of years. "Drip pricing" is a marketing practice in which firms advertise only part of a product's price as the headline price and then reveal other charges or fees, usually mandatory or unavoidable fees, later as the customer goes through the buying process. This practice is particularly prevalent amongst online retailers that require consumers to click through multiple pages to make selections in the purchasing