Canada's antitrust regulator sues Cineplex over alleged misleading ticket prices (updated)

Cineplex

18/05/2023 22:08

(Adds competition commissioner's statement in paragraph 2,
details on allegations in paragraph 4 & 5)
       May 18 (Reuters) - Canada's competition regulator said
on Thursday it was suing Cineplex Inc  CGX.TO  for allegedly
advertising movie tickets at a lower price than what many
consumers actually have to pay.
    "We're taking action against Cineplex because misleading
tactics like drip pricing only serve to deceive and harm
consumers," said Commissioner of Competition Matthew Boswell.
    Cineplex did not immediately respond to a Reuters request
for comment. 
    Competition Bureau Canada alleged that Cineplex was breaking
the law by adding an additional fee that raises the price of its
tickets purchased online, according to a statement from the
regulator.
    The bureau said Cineplex introduced the online booking fee
in June 2022 and it has generated significant revenue for the
company.
    
         

 (Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa and Sourasis Bose in
Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese and Shinjini Ganguli)
 ((ismail.shakil@tr.com;))