Several Pennsylvania prosecutors are joining in a lawsuit against Vivid Seats over what the suit calls deceptive pricing schemes.
The lawsuit was originally filed by the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and also includes the DA offices of Bucks, Montgomery, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Pike and Wyoming counties.
The suit alleges that Vivid Seats, which regularly resells tickets at popular venues in the counties, systematically violates the state’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.
Vivid Seats uses “deceptive online tactics” and digital “dark patterns” to show customers artificially low ticket prices, only to add on fees at the final stage of checkout, the Bucks DA’s office says.
The suit says there are three main deceptive practices: drip pricing, fee misrepresentation and the deliberate concealment of total costs. The final price ends up being as much as 80% above the initial rate, the suit says.
The prosecutors also accuse Vivid Seats of using a misleading countdown timer and page layouts designed to create urgency.
By hiding the final prices until the last second, Vivid Seats “actively prevents buyers from fairly comparison shopping across competitors or local box offices,” the Bucks DA says.
69 News has reached out to Vivid Seats for comment.