Cineplex is being sued for "allegedly advertising misleading ticket prices" over the booking fee it introduced last year.

Cineplex is being sued by the Competition Bureau, and a release from the bureau suggests that customers can't buy tickets on the Cineplex website or mobile app at the prices it is advertising because of the mandatory $1.50 online booking fee.

"The Bureau alleges that Cineplex's online booking fee is an example of misleading drip pricing (sometimes referred to as a junk fee)."

The Competition Bureau alleges that Cineplex is breaking the law with this additional fee introduced in June 2022, raising the price of online-purchased tickets.

It has also alleged that Cineplex has generated significant revenues due to the fee.

An application filed with the Competition Tribunal seeks three primary things, including:

• stop the deceptive advertising
• pay a penalty; and
• issue restitution to affected consumers who purchased tickets through Cineplex's website or app

"Consumers expect to pay the advertised price. We're taking action against Cineplex because misleading tactics like drip pricing only serve to deceive and harm consumers. For years, we have urged businesses, including ticket vendors, to display the full price of their products upfront. I remind all businesses to review their pricing claims to make sure they do not mislead consumers," said Matthew Boswell, Commissioner of Competition.