Washington Nationals Hit With Lawsuit Over Non-Advertised Junk Fees

The Washington Nationals have been hit with a lawsuit by the National Consumer League for their failure to disclose junk fees in their advertised prices.

The NCL is suing the team on behalf of consumers in the District of Columbia and beyond for violations of the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act in connection with Nationals’ single-game ticket sales practices.

According to the complaint, the Nationals advertised “deceptively low prices” for tickets and did not disclose that mandatory “ticket processing” fees could increase ticket prices by 25%. While tickets started at $9 on their website, they actually cost $11.25 after the processing fee. The complaint alleges the Nationals “never intended to sell those tickets ‘starting at $9’ on their official website.”

This practice, known as “drip pricing,” is commonly used across the industry, and the complaint alleges the Nationals have been using this practice for years. The NCL said these ticket practices are misleading and illegal under D.C. law; the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act protects consumers from being misled.

NCL’s chief executive officer Sally Greenberg said “it’s disappointing that ticket sellers like the Nationals hide the real price of their tickets from consumers until so late in the process.”

“The junk fees attached to the Nationals’ tickets are wrong, and they’re illegal,” Greenberg said. “We hope this lawsuit brings some much-needed reforms to the ticketing industry to help protect consumers from these abusive practices.”

The lawsuit is seeking damages on behalf of the consumers, among other relief.

Read the full complaint here.