Kennywood Owner Sued Over Online Ticket Price Fee

PITTSBURGH, PA — Kennywood's parent company is the target of a lawsuit filed by a woman claiming the amusement park hid its fees for online tickets.

Danielle Ratti filed the lawsuit in Allegheny County Common Please Court against Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. Herschend is the largest family-held themed attractions company, with more than 40 leading attractions and immersive experiences that reach audiences worldwide.

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Ratti accuses the company of using a tactic known as "drip pricing" which doesn't reveal the consumer's real total of an online ticket purchase until the end of the transaction.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, drip pricing is a technique in which firms advertise only part of a product's price and reveal other charges later as the customer goes through the buying process. The additional charges can be mandatory or optional.

"Although Herschend purports to stress a 'commitment to generosity' and a 'focus on making a meaningful impact on the communities it serves,' it routinely deceives Kennywood's online ticket purchasers, many of whom live in the local community, by forcing them to pay surprise fees in addition to the advertised prices of admission," the lawsuit alleges.

Ratti's suit includes all Pennsylvania citizens who, within the statute of limitations, purchased online a ticket or tickets to Kennywood and were charged the fee in addition to the advertised admission price.

The lawsuit shows that the Kennywood website lists ticket prices starting at $39.99, but a $2.50 fee appears as the user continues through the buying process. It notes that if a user clicks on the information icon next to the fee, no explanation if given for the extra charge.

So, the lawsuit contends, the $39.99 advertised ticket price actually is $43.49 plus tax.

A judge's approval is needed before the litigation can proceed as a class action lawsuit.

Herschend has not commented on the lawsuit.