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StubHub Accused of Tricking Customers With ‘Convoluted Junk Fee Scheme’ in New Lawsuit

The Washington D.C. attorney general brought a lawsuit against StubHub, accusing the ticket resale platform of deceiving customers to boost profit.

StubHub, the online ticket resale platform, was accused of deceiving customers through a “convoluted junk fee scheme” in a new lawsuit brought by Washington D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb. According to the complaint, StubHub uses a variety of practices — referred to as “digital ‘dark patterns’” — to influence and manipulate consumers into buying tickets at steep prices, while also hindering their ability to comparison shop. The “switch” comes after a user has selected their tickets, “invested time and effort clicking through an intentionally long, multi-page purchase process (in which customers are confronted with a countdown clock to create a false sense of urgency)” and then sees the full price.

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