GATINEAU, QC - Competition Bureau
Today, the Competition Tribunal ruled in favour of the Competition Bureau and found that Cineplex engaged in drip pricing by adding a mandatory $1.50 online booking fee.
The Tribunal determined that the representations on Cineplex's website and mobile application constituted drip pricing and that consumers were deceived by contradictory and incomplete information on Cineplex's tickets page.
As part of its ruling, the Tribunal ordered Cineplex to pay a financial penalty of over $38.9 million dollars and legal costs. The penalty is equivalent to the amount Cineplex collected from consumers from the introduction of the online booking fee in June 2022 until December 2023.
Consumers are entitled to clear information, and should never be surprised by hidden or additional fees. When businesses engage in false or misleading practices, it harms competition and businesses who comply with the law.
