If you are Canadian and went to a concert a few years ago, you should keep an eye out on the news. Ticketmaster, the most commonly used third-party website used to purchase concert tickets across the globe is currently facing a class action lawsuit. Canadians will soon be able to claim their settlements as the case progresses.
Why has this case been taken out against Ticketmaster?
Canadians who had purchased tickets from Ticketmaster in 2018 will be able to claim part of the class action settlement by the company.
The class action law suit has been filed against Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation. The suit alleges that Ticketmaster’s marketing practices, including how it displayed ticket prices and fees, violated the Consumer Protection and Business Practices Act. Plaintiff Crystal Watch brought this lawsuit against the company forward in 2018.
A notice has revealed that the court has made “no determination regarding the merits of those allegations.”
Ticketmaster has denied any allegations, however, the company and Watch have reached a settlement agreement of $6 million.
Seven years later, the Superior Court of Quebec authorized the discontinuance of the class action against Ticketmaster. This latest update occurred on January 14, 2025. As a result, eligible Canadians will soon be able to file a claim to receive their settlement payment. The payment will be in the form of Ticketmaster credit which can then be used to make purchases on the site.
Are you eligible and how much can you claim?
In order to receive credit, you need to have purchased a ticket through Ticketmaster from January 1, 2018, through June 2018, as per the settlement.
The settlement was approved with the amount of $6 million. The full amount will not be used to pay out the eligible customers. Instead, $1,725,000 will go toward lawyer fees and $83,829.04 in additional expenses. Plaintiff Crystal Watch will also receive a payment of $25,000 from overall $6 million.
The remainder of the amount will be distributed amongst class action members who file a claim. The payment will not be made in cash however. Class action members will receive a non-cash convertible electronic gift card with a maximum value of $45 that can be used on Ticketmaster’s website. The credit is transferable with no expiry date and can be used to make a one-time purchase. The credit is subject to certain terms and conditions, however.
If there is any amount remaining once all claims have been fulfilled and the settlement has been distributed, it will be paid to organizations through cash or cheque chosen by Ticketmaster and Watch.
How to claim your $45 electronic gift card
The claims window for this seven year old case is not yet open, according to a representative at the claims administration. As such, if you fall under the category of eligible members, you do not have to do anything just yet. However, you should keep an eye out for when the window opens. This can be done through the settlement site.
Class action lawsuits against big corporations seem to be in abundance recently. Tech pioneer, Apple recently faced a $20 million lawsuit amidst allegations of defective Apple Watches with batteries that are prone to swelling. Several of the top colleges across the United States are also set to pay a massive $320 million settlement to resolves claims that these schools are violating antitrust laws by coordinating to restrict financial aid, effectively inflating costs for students.
A common trend in many of these class action suits is that it appears these corporations take full advantage of the likelihood that customers will simply ignore reading the terms and conditions of their purchase. As such, it becomes quite easy to slip in an additional fee with no real purpose beyond charging a customer extra.