Ticket reseller Vivid Seats is facing a proposed class action lawsuit claiming it lured customers with deceptively low prices before tacking on hidden fees at checkout — a practice known as “drip pricing.”
Filed by Maryland resident Laura Cheezum, the lawsuit alleges Vivid Seats misled consumers by advertising ticket prices 25% to 50% lower than the actual cost, only revealing “junk fees” in the final moments of checkout.
According to court filings, the company also used countdown timers to pressure buyers into completing purchases quickly — a tactic the complaint describes as “artificial urgency designed to manipulate consumer psychology.”
Alleged Violation of Maryland’s 2024 Anti-Drip Pricing Law
The complaint, originally filed in Maryland state court and later moved to federal court, claims that Vivid Seats’ pricing strategy directly violated Maryland’s 2024 law banning drip pricing.
Cheezum argues that by withholding the true ticket price, Vivid Seats unfairly drew consumers away from competitors that advertised “all-in” prices, gaining an illegal edge in the marketplace.
“Companies that use deceptively low advertised prices lure consumers away from honest competitors,” the suit says, citing a 2022 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report stating that hidden fees can inflate prices by up to 20%.
