Judge Says Los Angeles Dodgers Receipt Class Action Will Continue

A California Superior Court judge has overruled a demurrer filed by Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Dodgers LLC in litigation involving a Dodgers receipt class action lawsuit.

Alex E. filed a class action lawsuit last year alleging he was provided a receipt that violated FACTA when he made a purchase at the Dodgers’ baseball stadium. Class Members include consumers who purchased tickets for games and events at Dodger Stadium at one or more of the Dodger’s box office locations and received a received an electronically printed receipt with more than the last five digits of their credit or debit card number.

FACTA is the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, which requires merchants to print only the last five digits of a credit card or debit card number on receipts, and no expiration date.

Dodger Stadium FACTA Violation

According to the Dodgers receipt lawsuit, Alex said he used his personal credit card to buy Los Angeles Dodgers playoff tickets at Dodger Stadium. He claims he was provided an electronically printed receipt on Los Angeles Dodgers ticket paper that displayed the expiration date and the last four digits of his Visa credit card account number.

A demurrer is an objection that opposing counsel has presented a point is irrelevant even when based in fact. In this case, Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Dodgers filed a demurrer alleging Alex failed to show he had suffered any true injury as a result of the FACTA violations.

Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl of the Superior Court of California wrote in her overruling of the demurrer, “Given California’s more liberal standing requirements, Plaintiff alleges facts sufficient to show standing to sue under FACTA.”

Dodgers Receipt Class Action Not Unusual in Sports World

According to Alex’s receipt class action lawsuit, Alex alleges both Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Dodgers had knowledge for more than a year of “other FACTA litigation initiated and threatened to be initiated in courts throughout the country against other sports venues and stadiums that use the same exact debit and credit card processing technology…”

At the time the Dodgers receipt class action lawsuit was filed, the stadium allegedly continued printing receipts that violated FACTA’s truncation requirement.

Since Dec. 2003, businesses that provide electronically printed receipts must shorten (truncate) the customer’s account information. If more than the last five digits of the credit card appear or if the card’s expiration date shows, the business is in violation of the federal law. Businesses with older machines were given until December 1, 2006, to become FACTA compliant.

The FACTA receipt requirements are part of the federal government’s attempt to limit the publication of consumers’ private information that could be used by unsavory characters to commit identity theft. According to recent statistics by Javelin Strategy, more than 14 million people were victims of identity theft in 2018 alone, resulting in $3.4 billion in monetary losses. Understanding FACTA rules can keep consumers safe from this issue.

Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Dodgers are accused of showing willful, knowing or reckless disregard for the federal law and the rights of their own customers by committing documented FACTA violations.

The Dodgers Receipt Class Action Lawsuit is Alex E. v. Major League Baseball, et al., Case No. 18STCV02491 in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, Central District.

Join a Free MLB Receipt Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you have a receipt from a MLB baseball park that includes more than the last five digits of your credit card or debit card number or any portion of the expiration date, you may qualify to file an MLB credit card receipt class action lawsuit.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented 
for informational purposes only.