NCL sues Washington Nationals over hidden ticket fees
NCL is on the front lines of a battle for truthful pricing information, and this time, we’re going toe to toe with one of DC’s most beloved teams—the Washington Nationals.
Our lawsuit, filed in the summer of 2024, alleges that the team advertised deceptively low prices on their website for single-game tickets, failing to disclose their mandatory “ticket processing” fees, which can increase ticket prices by 25%. The team’s website boasts that the team’s single-game tickets start at $9, yet final costs are closer to $11.25 after hidden junk fees are imposed. The actual price of the tickets was not disclosed until late in the online checkout process.
This isn’t just a case of bad business; our case argues that adding on mandatory junk fees is a blatant violation of the DC’s consumer protection law, which outlines a robust set of protections around the disclosure of the price of goods and services on the market.
NCL is determined to hold the Nationals and other ticket sellers accountable. The hidden junk fees paid by consumers for sporting and concert events must be curtailed, and under DC law, they are illegal under DC law. Consumers deserve transparent and truthful information about event pricing. NCL believes that the lawsuit against the Nats will bring reforms to the ticketing process and spur much-needed changes in the ticketing industry—ending the era of uncontrolled junk fees once and for all!
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About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.