Ticketmaster: Unauthorized Enrollment In Paid "Entertainment Rewards" Program

Beginning in September 2004, Ticketmaster duped over a million customers into paying more than $60 million for a subscription service called "Entertainment Rewards" that none of them ever used. The basic ruse was this: After the customer had pressed the button to confirm his or her purchase on the Ticketmaster website, Defendants described a $25 cash-back offer on an additional purchase and included a single "CONTINUE" button. But clicking did not "continue" the transaction at all; rather it initiated a new transaction for "Entertainment Rewards"-which gives customers the right to download coupons from the Internet, at a cost of $9 per month. These facts were hidden in small print, while a large field merely asked the customer to confirm his email address and click "Yes." After an email was entered, Ticketmaster automatically and invisibly transferred the customer's credit card information to Entertainment Rewards, never asking the customer to reconfirm the card or re-enter the card number.

The United States District Court has certified the case as a class action in part, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is considering whether the class should be extended to all Ticketmaster customers who were enrolled in Entertainment Rewards and who never printed a coupon from the service. A decision is expected in 2011.

If you were a victim of Entertainment Rewards, please contact us.