Two class-action lawsuits have been launched against Cineplex in Canada

A class-action lawsuit filed against Cineplex in Canada? Try two.

Slater Vecchio LLP has filed class actions against the cinema chain in BC and Quebec, alleging false and misleading advertising.

The legal firm was recently in the news for a class-action lawsuit against Quaker Oats after 38 products were recalled across Canada for possible salmonella exposure.

The two new lawsuits target Cineplex’s failure to disclose the booking fee it charges on online ticket purchases at the outset of the ticket purchasing process.

Both class actions seek to represent all Canadians who bought Cineplex movie tickets and were charged the online booking fee.

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“The action alleges that Cineplex engages in ‘price dripping’ through their online ticket sales platform, in violation of Canada’s Competition Act,” wrote Slater Vecchio LLP in a release published on Tuesday.

The law firm explained that price dripping is when the first price a company advertises for a product/service does not equal the final price at checkout “because the company adds non-government-imposed fees on top of the originally represented price.”

Usually, this amount is called a “service,” “process,” or “improvement” fee.

The class actions also allege that Cineplex does not disclose during the online ticket purchasing process that people who aren’t members of its CineClub would be charged a $1 or $1.50 online booking fee for booking their movie tickets through the theatre giant’s website or mobile app.

“Through these lawsuits, consumers seek repayment of the online booking fees, plus taxes on those fees, that they paid to Cineplex,” attorneys specified in the release.

“To ensure fairness and transparency in the online marketplace, it is of paramount importance that companies accurately display the price they are charging Canadians from the moment these prices are first shown to consumers,” said Sam Jaworski, a partner at Slater Vecchio LLP.

If you are part of the class, check your emails for receipts showing you paid the online booking fee.

For updates, submit your info on the law firm’s website here.

Last year, the Competition Bureau announced that it was suing Cineplex for “allegedly advertising misleading ticket prices” over the booking fee it introduced in 2022.

The Bureau suggested that customers could not buy tickets on the Cineplex website or mobile app at the advertised prices because of the mandatory $1.50 online booking fee.

It alleged this was an example of misleading drip pricing, sometimes called a “junk fee.”

With files from Daily Hive’s Amir Ali