New York Renaissance Faire Operator Under Fire for Allegedly Hiding Ticket Fees

Organizers of the New York Renaissance Faire have been hit with a proposed class action lawsuit, alleging the company violated state law by concealing the full price of online admission tickets until the end of checkout.

The 17-page lawsuit, Hammond v. Renaissance Entertainment Productions, Inc., was filed on April 3 in New York. It alleges that Renaissance Entertainment Productions waited until the end of the ticket purchasing process on their website, RenFair.com/NY, to reveal additional service, processing, and order fees — which violates the New York Arts and Cultural Affairs Law.

According to the suit, the last-minute disclosure of these charges is a “cheap trick” that has allowed the company to “swindle customers.” They only see the final ticket amount at the end of checkout, leaving them surprised.

New York state law states that operators of places of entertainment must display the total price of a ticket — including additional charges — before the buyer selects it to purchase. The complaint claimed that Renaissance Entertainment Productions violates the law, as ticket prices cannot increase during the purchase process, and the company “ambush[es]” customers by adding the charges only after clicking through numerous pages to confirm their transaction details.

The lawsuit also points to a countdown clock, which urges the customer to finish their transaction quickly before losing their tickets.

“With a countdown timer and multiple decisions to make on this screen, consumers are unlikely to notice [the company’s] sneaky fees,” the complaint reads.

The lawsuit is looking to represent anyone in the U.S. who purchased tickets to the New York Renaissance Faire from their official website on or after August 29, 2022.

Read the full class action complaint here.