Class Action Roundup – July 7

Shedding Light on Ticketmaster Settlement Rumors

I’m sure you’ve heard about the Ticketmaster settlement by now. Rumors about what concert-goers could claim started flying around as soon as the settlement made the headlines. But, is there any truth to the gossip? Kim LaCapria over at Snopes sifted through the rumors (it’s what she does) and got right to the facts. Basically, anyone who used Ticketmaster to buy tickets between October 1999 and February 2013 could be eligible to claim free tickets and other vouchers, but glitches in the system made it so that some people eligible for ticket vouchers couldn’t access them immediately. Hopefully, the last of the issues will be resolved soon and we can head to our free shows.

Lawsuit: Youth Soccer Clubs v. MLS Players Union

Jorge Arangure Jr. over at Vice Sports recently wrote an article covering a lawsuit against Major League Soccer that could have some widespread repercussions. Here’s how it’s going down. Three American youth soccer clubs filed a class action against the MLS Players Union claiming that any youth team should be able to collect fees for the international transfer of U.S. players. The youth teams are saying that they should be compensated because of the profits the MLS makes from the transfer of their former players. If the case ends with a win for the youth teams (or even if it settles), it has the potential to drastically change the way the U.S. youth soccer system works. Definitely check out Jorge’s article for more info and a look at the complaint.

Netflix Users Fight Rising Subscription Fees

Netflix is facing another class action. This time, Netflix customers aren’t pleased that it’s increasing its prices after promising to maintain a $7.99 subscription fee for the life of a number of accounts. If the lawsuit is granted class certification, it could cover close to 22 million Netflix users who signed up for the “grandfathered” accounts. For more information, check out this Hollywood Reporter article by Ashley Cullins. Great work, Ashley.

UK Class Action Takes a Swing at MasterCard Processing Fees

Remember when we wrote about the Consumer Rights Act 2015? Well, we’re witnessing the effects of the Act right now as MasterCard prepares to face a class action in the UK. While we usually stick to class actions in the States, it’s good to see that our friends across the pond are looking to help their citizens stand up to the corporations. Good show! Anyway, the lawsuit is claiming that MasterCard has been imposing hefty fees for foreign card transactions – forcing consumers to pay more simply for using their cards. Patrick Gower and Kit Chellel over at Bloomberg wrote an article about the lawsuit that you should definitely check out.