These 7 Quebec Class Action Lawsuits Could Earn You Up To $1,000
From Ticketmaster to Videotron, plenty of companies could give YOU money!
A masked Uber Eats delivery biker checks their phone.
Class action suits are both exciting and deeply boring – exciting because they might involve you, boring because they take forever to resolve and rarely result in a significant amount of money for most people. That said, these ongoing class action lawsuits in Quebec involve very common purchases and their affected classes could include you!
Whether they're currently before the Quebec superior court or just biding their time before being resolved, perhaps these suits could make you feel a little better about how much money you spend at these various stores, websites and institutions. It's small comfort, but money is comfort nonetheless. Let's get into these class action suits, and you can see whether the world really might owe you more than you're getting.
Ticketmaster
This suit focuses on Ticketmaster's Official Platinum ticket designation, which the site labels as premium. Law office LPC Avocat Inc. considers these tickets to be in violation of the law, arguing that these premium tickets are unilaterally determined by Ticketmaster. In other words, they claim that regular, non-special tickets are being labelled as Official Platinum so that they can be sold at a higher price point.
Fans don't get additional perks with these pricier tickets, LPC says, adding that Ticketmaster's price floor for reselling tickets goes against Canada's Competition Act.
You're eligible to be a member of this suit's class if you have bought an Official Platinum ticket on Ticketmaster's platform, and LPC is seeking compensation for the amount overcharged on these tickets, as well as a $300 minimum in damages. Not a huge proposed windfall, but it's something nonetheless.
This lawsuit is still awaiting an authorization hearing.
Vidéotron
The suit against Vidéotron was authorized in February of this year, claiming that the company was billing customers for unexpected interest and not reimbursing customers for prepaid services upon the termination of their contract. It's up to the court to determine whether there will be an out-of-court settlement or a verdict that lands us some cash.
Specific details about potential compensation aren't clear yet, but you can stay appraised of the case by following the involved law firms, BGA inc. and Garnier Ouellette Avocats.
Bell
The court authorized a class action suit against Bell on July 4, 2023, after contracts were introduced without being actually shown (i.e., physically presented) to customers. Anyone who entered into a contract with Bell (whether subscription or door-to-door renewal) between June 23, 2018 and July 4, 2023 are eligible for up to $1,000 in compensation, should the suit go through.
Dollarama, Rona, Costco, SAQ and more
This proposed class action suit argues that Dollarama, Rona, Costco, the SAQ, and other companies, including Metro, were using bags labelled as recyclable even when they weren't actually recyclable. The suit was originally filed on October 4, 2022, and has yet to be authorized as of the date of publication, meaning that exact compensation numbers aren't available yet.
That said, the suit asks for ten million dollars to be distributed across members of the eligible class, which includes anyone who has purchased a qualifying bag in-store or online
Uber Eats
This suit claims that Uber Eats has been charging additional fees without clearly marking them at checkout, which constitutes (in the argument of the case) charging a price higher than advertised for goods and services. The plaintiff is seeking reimbursements for those seemingly hidden fees, as well as unspecified punitive damages.
Uber Eats has challenged these accusations, so the suit will go to trial unless a magical settlement fixes everything. You would be eligible to receive that as-yet-undefined compensation (should the suit go through and should the plaintiff win) if you used the Uber Eats app between July 4, 2017 and April 20, 2021.
Amazon, Home Depot and Wayfair
This suit is a triple threat, targeting three companies and accusing them of selling extended warranties in a way that violated Quebec's Consumer Protection Act. Since the suit was filed, Home Depot and Wayfair have adapted their policies, but Amazon has stood firm.
To be eligible for the suit, you'll need to have been an Amazon customer who purchased an extended warranty since February 7, 2019; a Home Depot customer who purchased an extended warranty between February 7, 2019 and September 30, 2022; or a Wayfair customer who purchased an extended warranty between February 7, 2019 and October 31, 2022.
The class action suit is seeking compensatory damages in an amount yet to be determined and punitive damages of $100 per class member.
Visa, Mastercard and Amex
This is another mandatory undeclared fee issue — someone bought a prepaid $25 Mastercard from a Couche-Tard, but was charged $29.54 for the card, which included a $3.95 activation fee that was unstated and mandatory.
"Since the activation fee is mandatory, the real purchase price for this Prepaid Card is $28.95 (plus applicable taxes) and should be advertised as such," LPC Avocats argues.
There's a laundry list of companies which sell and advertise their prepaid cards in the same way, in violation, the suit argues, of Quebec's Consumer Protection Act.
The suit wants $10 in punitive damages and $10 in remuneration for each prepaid card purchased, plus the amount of the activation fee which was charged in (alleged) violation of the law.
You're eligible if you purchased a prepaid card from any of the following places and paid higher than the advertised cost since May 8, 2019.
- COUCHE-TARD INC.
- LE GROUPE JEAN COUTU (PJC) INC.
- WAL-MART CANADA CORP.
- CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION, LIMITED
- BEST BUY CANADA LTD.
- SHOPPERS DRUG MART INC. (also doing business as Pharmaprix)
- SUNCOR ENERGY INC. (a.d.b.a. Petro-Canada)
- SHELL CANADA LTD.
- PARKLAND CORPORATION (a.d.b.a. Esso, Ultramar, Dépanneur du coin, Dépan Express and Marché Express)
- GIANT TIGER STORES LIMITED
- METRO INC. (a.d.b.a. SuperC)
- SOBEYS CAPITAL INCORPORATED (a.d.b.a. IGA)
- LOBLAWS INC. (a.d.b.a. Provigo and Maxi)
- LA CORPORATION MCKESSON CANADA (a.d.b.a. Uniprix and Proxim)
- DOLLARAMA S.E.C.
- STAPLES CANADA ULC (a.d.b.a. Bureau en Gros)
- HOME DEPOT OF CANADA INC.
- CANADA POST CORPORATION
- PEOPLES TRUST COMPANY & PEOPLES CARD SERVICES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
- MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL INC., VISA INTERNATIONAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION & AMEX BANK OF CANADA
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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