Lawsuit Aims To Crack Down On Secondary Ticket Vendor Fees: Bucks DA

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA — A lawsuit joined by the Bucks County District Attorney's Office focuses on a secondary ticketing agent that sells seats at the Xcite Center at Parx Casino.

Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan said that he is joining a bipartisan coalition of District Attorneys from seven eastern Pennsylvania counties to bring a major consumer protection lawsuit against secondary ticketing giant Vivid Seats, Inc.

In Bucks County, secondary ticket platforms regularly resell tickets for events at popular local venues, including the Xcite Center at Parx Casino, the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, and the Sellersville Theater.

The lawsuit — filed by the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office — alleges that Vivid Seats systematically violates Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.

The legal action targets deceptive pricing schemes, commonly known as “drip pricing” and hidden “junk fees,” that manipulate buyers and obscure the true cost of event tickets.

According to the complaint, Vivid Seats uses deceptive online tactics and digital “dark patterns” to lure consumers with artificially low ticket prices, only to tack on mandatory fees at the final stage of checkout.

The suit highlights three main deceptive practices at the center of the scheme: drip pricing, fee misrepresentation, and the deliberate concealment of total costs.

Khan said the undisclosed add-ons can increase the final price by as much as 80 percent above the advertised rate.

By concealing true total costs until the final second, the company actively prevents buyers from fairly comparison shopping across competitors or local box offices.

Khan said that since Bucks County residents routinely travel to Philadelphia for sporting events and concerts, consumers are frequently targeted by the deceptive pricing practices, driving up out-of-pocket costs for entertainment in our region.

To address these violations, the lawsuit seeks an immediate injunction to halt Vivid Seats' deceptive pricing practices across the Commonwealth.

In addition to forcing price transparency, the legal action aims to secure full restitution for affected consumers, statutory civil penalties, and the recovery of legal costs.