Red Sox Fans File Lawsuit Against Team Alleging Deceptive Ticket Pricing

A group of three Red Sox enthusiasts has initiated a class-action lawsuit against the team, accusing them of imposing hidden “junk fees” and utilizing “drip pricing” strategies on ticket sales.

This legal action, lodged in Massachusetts earlier this month, claims the team engaged in deceptive advertising tactics to lure ticket buyers for games and events at Fenway Park from 2022 through at least 2024, employing a “bait-and-switch” approach.

The lawsuit contends that the Red Sox would promote tickets at deceptively low prices. However, when buyers attempted to complete their purchases, the team allegedly tacked on mandatory fees at the last moment, such as “Per-Ticket Fees” and “Order Fees,” which could inflate the ticket cost by as much as 150 percent.

In essence, the complaint argues that the tickets advertised by the Red Sox were never genuinely available at the stated prices.

The plaintiffs claim that this practice has resulted in ticket buyers losing millions of dollars.

“The Red Sox’s use of drip pricing and junk fees was both unfair and deceptive,” the lawsuit states. “It was also illegal under the consumer protection laws of Massachusetts and other states.”

The Red Sox gave a short statement to WCVB Channel 5 in Boston, stating, “While we don’t comment on pending litigation, we have always complied with applicable state and federal laws.”

Boston is one of three Major League Baseball teams to be dealt a similar lawsuit in the past few months. 

In September, the Nationals were accused in federal court of cheating “customers out of millions of dollars” through junk fees. 

The Giants were handed a similar lawsuit earlier this week. 

“Rather than disclosing the full cost of purchasing tickets upfront, the Giants tacked on last-minute “Service” fees, “Convenience” fees, “Handling and Convenience” fees, and “Order” processing fees that increased the cost of the purchase, exceeding the price initially advertised to the consumer, often by more than $50 per transaction,” the lawsuit against the San Francisco franchise read.