Gotham Comedy Club Surprises Online Ticket Buyers with Hidden Fees, Class Action Claims

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

A proposed class action alleges the operator of New York’s Gotham Comedy Club illegally ambushes online ticket buyers with a $4.50 “service fee” during checkout.

Want to stay in the loop on class actions that matter to you? Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.

The 13-page complaint says that when a consumer visits ShowClix.com or GothamComedyClub.com to buy tickets to a show at the Manhattan venue, defendant Gotham Comedy Foundation, Inc. initially displays a fee-less price. Customers only learn Gotham’s actual ticket prices, which include an additional $4.50 fee per ticket, after they have gone through the purchasing process, the case claims.

The suit argues that Gotham Comedy Foundation’s practice of charging hidden fees violates the New York Arts and Cultural Affairs Law, a state statute that requires places of entertainment to disclose the total cost of a ticket, including any fees, before the ticket is selected for purchase. Under this law, it is illegal for a venue to make their ticket prices increase during the purchase process, the complaint relays.

The filing claims that a Gotham Comedy Club ticket originally advertised on one of these sites as, say, $20, will unlawfully increase to $24.50 by the time the customer is ready to check out.

According to the case, Gotham Comedy Foundation has buyers select the specific show they want to see, pick a date and time, and choose a seat, all without knowing they’ll be subjected to a hidden fee.

In fact, when consumers are asked to select a seat, a timer giving an eight-minute countdown appears on the webpage, the filing says.

“Because New York is a busy place, and because these fees are only flashed after a consumer selects their ticket, [the defendant] can plausibly put its customers on a shot clock and tell them they need to decide quickly because [the defendant] cannot hold their seats open forever,” the suit shares. “This cheap trick has enabled [the defendant] to swindle substantial sums of money from its customers.”

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States who purchased electronic tickets through ShowClix.com to any event hosted by the Gotham Comedy Club in New York on or after August 29, 2022.

Get class action lawsuit news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.