LOOK Cinemas’ Ticket Convenience Fee Violates New York Law, Class Action Says

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A proposed class action claims LOOK Cinemas operator LOOK Brands violated New York law by failing to include a $1.95 convenience fee in the total cost of a movie ticket at the beginning of the online purchase process.

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The 11-page lawsuit alleges that for more than a year, the defendant—a Dallas-based luxury dine-in cinema company with locations across the United States—has been “nickel and diming” consumers who buy movie tickets on LookCinemas.com in violation of the New York Arts and Cultural Affairs Law.

According to the suit, the statute requires operators of places of entertainment to disclose the total price of a ticket, including any added fees, before the ticket is selected for purchase. The state law also prohibits such companies from increasing ticket costs during the checkout process, the case adds.

The complaint contends that instead of properly disclosing its $1.95 per ticket convenience fee at the beginning of the purchase process, the company “ambushe[s]” consumers with the extra charge at checkout, after they have clicked through multiple screens to select a cinema location, date, movie title, showtime and seat number.

If the consumer clicks “CONTINUE,” they are taken to the checkout page, where the total cost of their purchase is displayed “bundled together” so the individual has “no idea how much [LOOK Brands] is charging [them] in ancillary fees,” the lawsuit relays.

As the filing tells it, only after navigating through these pages does a website user arrive at the ticket selection page, where the price of the ticket is listed and the added “ticket convenience fee” can be found by clicking the small “DETAILS” button near the price to view the cost breakdown.

“This cheap trick has enabled [LOOK Brands] to swindle substantial sums of money from its customers,” the suit charges.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States who purchased electronic tickets to any film screenings at any cinema location in New York from LookCinemas.com since August 29, 2022.

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