MovieTickets.com Sued for Scamming Consumers

If you’ve ever wondered if those movie coupons from MovieTickets.com were too good to be true, your consumer instincts are dead on. A recently filed class action lawsuit claims MovieTickets.com and Webloyalty.com scam online consumers with promos that appear to offer discounted movie tickets but unwittingly sign them up for a membership program that costs $10 to $12 a month.

Here’s how the scam works: “While consumers are purchasing goods from certain online retail websites, including movie tickets online at MovieTickets.com, they are presented with advertisements that appear to offer next-purchase coupons or some other similar discount or benefit. By clicking on the coupon, consumers unwittingly agree to join a club membership program operated by Webloyalty,” according to the class action lawsuit. Clicking on the coupons automatically transfers the consumer’s billing information, including their credit or debit card information, to Webloyalty, which then charges consumers’ credit or debit cards a monthly fee of $10 to $12. Webloyalty is able to obtain consumers’ billing information without their knowledge through a process known as “data pass,” in which the website where the consumer just made a purchase passes on their billing information without letting the consumer know that they are agreeing to enter a new, ongoing financial relationship with Webloyalty.

If approved, the lawsuit will seek a class action settlement that provides damages to class members and an injunction barring MovieTickets.com and Webloyalty from “scamming” online consumers.