Ticketmaster, one of the world’s largest concert ticket sellers, is being sued over how it priced Drake tickets for his upcoming “It’s All A Blur” tour at the Bell Centre.
LPC Avocat Inc., a Montreal law firm, filed a class-action lawsuit against Ticketmaster. The firm alleges the company jacked up the prices on one day for tickets to get people to pay top dollar, and then added an additional show later with the prices cut down almost half price, according to The Star.com.
A Quebec Superior Court has to approve the validity of the case for it to go to trial.
At the core of the lawsuit is a Montreal man’s purchase of two “Official Platinum” seats for the July 14th show and paying $789.54 for each ticket.
People are spending top dollar for the 29-date international concert because it will be the first time Drake and 21 Savage have toured together.
The first controversy over the tickets came earlier in March when fans were initially told the presale tickets would run them about $70 on Cash App but were actually being sold for $200, Variety reports.
Another glitch in selling the show is 21 Savage not being able to make the Canadian dates. People suspect it is because of his immigration issues, but no real reason has been provided to fans.
so buy @Drake and 21 Savage tickets through @Ticketmaster then the next day it’s announced 21 Savage isn’t coming to Canada! p##### off! what are going to do about the numerous p##### off fans??? #gimmearefund
— Keri Marsh (@keri1975) March 18, 2023
While one fan is upset that 21 Savage’s absence was not announced before she got her Canadian tickets, others have issues simply with the ticketing.
The complaint alleges, the next day after he bought the tickets, another show was added and those same seats were being sold for $439.54 per ticket.
Lawyers allege the company “intentionally misleads consumers for their own financial gain,” claiming they knew all along Drake was going to add another show and bumped up the price for the first show because fans pay more when they believe they might miss out.
“Ticketmaster unilaterally decides which tickets it advertises and sells as ‘Official Platinum’ based on a given event,” states the application for the class action.
Adding, “The result is that most, if not all, of the tickets advertised and sold as ‘Official Platinum,’ are neither ‘premium tickets’ nor ‘some of the best seats in the house’ and are, in fact, just regular tickets sold by Ticketmaster at an artificially inflated premium in bad faith.”
While Drake is at the center of the story, he is not named as a defendant.
LPC Avocat is seeking “compensatory damages in the aggregate amount of the difference between the prices charged for ‘Official Platinum’ tickets and what their regular price ought to have been” for those who paid the higher fee for the Official Platinum seats.
The lawyers are also pushing to get punitive damages paid to those ticket buyers impacted by the alleged gouging. They hope to secure an additional $300 for their pain and suffering.
Ticketmaster nor the Canadian chart-topper has released a comment on the pending lawsuit.