Cineplex has failed in its attempt to overturn a major ruling against its ticket pricing, marking a significant victory for Canadian moviegoers.
On January 21, 2026, the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed the cinema giant’s appeal, confirming that the company used deceptive marketing practices to lure in customers with lower prices than what they actually paid.
The legal battle began back in 2023 when the Competition Bureau accused Cineplex of “drip pricing.” This practice involves advertising a low ticket price to get customers into the checkout process, only to tack on mandatory fees at the very last second. Under Canadian law, any price advertised must be the actual price a consumer pays, with the only exception being government-mandated taxes.
Jeanne Pratt, the Acting Commissioner of Competition, described the court’s decision as “another resounding win for Canadians,” in a statement released on Saturday (of all days?).
“This outcome reinforces the Bureau’s clear stance that businesses should not advertise prices that are not attainable,” Pratt stated. “Canadians deserve transparency when making purchases. Businesses that fail to comply with the law risk significant financial penalties.”
The case centered on a 2024 ruling by the Competition Tribunal which found that Cineplex had indeed engaged in deceptive pricing. Cineplex attempted to have that decision thrown out, but the Federal Court of Appeal has now shut that door, even ordering the company to pay the legal costs of the appeal.
The Competition Bureau has been cracking down on hidden fees across many industries, issuing alerts to help consumers spot and report companies that hide the true cost of goods and services.
“Our continued work on this file, along with other drip pricing cases underlines our commitment to tackling deceptive marketing practices,” Pratt touted.
Will this ruling serve as a final warning to Canadian retailers and service providers that the price you see must be the price you pay?
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They deserve this. With little to no competition, they thought they could do what they want. They were wrong!
Is Ticketmaster next??
They were first
They were first
Great so when are the carriers being forced to stop their ridiculous “setup service fees” and other such nonsense?
We haven't been to Cineplex in 5+ years, we go to Landmark instead. Much better seats, especially premiere seating.