Cineplex ordered to pay $38.9M by Competition Tribunal in ticket fee case

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TORONTO — Cineplex Inc. has been ordered to pay a record $38.9 million fine after the Competition Tribunal found the theatre owner guilty of deceptive marketing practices.

The tribunal has now sided with the Competition Bureau in a case brought forward last May by the watchdog, in which Cineplex was accused of deceiving theatregoers by not immediately presenting them with the full price of a movie ticket when purchasing seats online.

The bureau said the deception lay in a $1.50 online booking fee Cineplex began charging in June 2022 to many customers not enrolled in its loyalty and subscription programs.

The bureau alleged the fee constituted “price dripping,” a practice when customers are drawn into a purchase without full disclosure of the final cost.

Cineplex denied the accusations, saying moviegoers are promptly told about fees they may face.

The $38.9 million fine Cineplex has now been handed is equivalent to the amount it collected from consumers through the $1.50 online booking fee between June 2022 and December 2023.