Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.
Key facts
- Case: Carbonell v. SeatGeek, Inc., No. 2:24-cv-02087-JCM-NJK, U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.
- Settlement: SeatGeek agreed to pay $7,750,000 into a settlement fund. SeatGeek denies wrongdoing, and the court has not ruled on the merits.
- Who is included: People who bought electronic tickets to events in Nevada through seatgeek.com or the SeatGeek app from November 7, 2020 through May 12, 2025 and were charged fees.
- Claim deadline: January 5, 2027, online by 11:59 p.m. Eastern or postmarked by mail.
- Opt-out and objection deadline: December 6, 2026.
- Final approval hearing: January 12, 2027 at 9:30 a.m. in Las Vegas.
- Payments: A pro rata share based on the fees you paid, or a fixed $15 if your fees were fully refunded or charged back.
In this article
- What the lawsuit claimed
- The Nevada ticket law at the center of the case
- What the settlement pays
- Who is in the settlement class
- How to file a claim
- Your other options
- Timeline
- What remains uncertain
- Frequently asked questions
What the lawsuit claimed
Mars Carbonell, a Las Vegas resident, filed this proposed class action against SeatGeek, Inc. on November 7, 2024 in federal court in Nevada. SeatGeek is a ticket marketplace. The complaint describes it as a Delaware corporation headquartered in New York that runs seatgeek.com and the SeatGeek app.
The complaint says Carbonell bought a ticket through SeatGeek to a Maluma concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and gives the date as September 13, 2023. It says he saw a checkout process like the one shown in screenshots attached to the complaint.
The core allegation is a practice called "drip pricing." That is when a seller shows a low price first and adds required fees only near the end of checkout. According to the complaint, SeatGeek showed fee-less ticket prices across several checkout screens while buyers entered payment, billing, and delivery details. Then, the complaint alleges, the final confirmation screen added "an eye-popping 35 percent fee" in "tiny grey font" away from the Place Order button.
The complaint also alleged that SeatGeek showed all-in prices, including fees, to buyers of events in New York and California, where state laws require that, while showing fee-less prices for Nevada events.
These are allegations
Everything in this section comes from the plaintiff's complaint. SeatGeek denies wrongdoing, and no court or jury has decided whether SeatGeek's checkout broke the law. The settlement resolves the case without that decision.
The Nevada ticket law at the center of the case
The lawsuit relied on Nevada Revised Statutes section 598.39795. The complaint quotes it as barring a ticket reseller or secondary ticket exchange from reselling a ticket "without first disclosing to the purchaser the total amount that the purchaser will be charged for the ticket, including any fees." The complaint says this requirement took effect July 1, 2019.
A secondary ticket exchange is a platform where tickets are resold after the original sale, as opposed to the box office or primary seller. The complaint also cited Nevada's deceptive trade practices law and section 598.3982, which it said allows statutory damages of $1,000 for a first violation, $2,500 for a second, and $5,000 for each later violation.
Statutory damages are fixed amounts set by law that a plaintiff can seek without proving the exact dollar loss. The large per-violation figures help explain why a case over ticket fees could carry significant risk for a defendant, but the court never decided whether any damages were owed.
The case moved slowly before the deal. A February 24, 2025 order stayed discovery, the exchange of evidence between the parties, while SeatGeek's motion to compel arbitration or dismiss the case was pending. Arbitration would have moved claims out of court and into private, individual proceedings.
What the settlement pays
Under the settlement agreement, SeatGeek will pay $7,750,000 into a settlement fund. Money does not go back to SeatGeek if the settlement becomes final.
Before payments, the fund covers settlement administration costs, any attorneys' fees and costs the court approves, and any service award to Carbonell. Class counsel may ask for up to one-third of the fund for fees, including costs. The service award request is capped at $5,000. Class counsel's fee motion is due by November 22, 2026.
The settlement agreement states that SeatGeek represented it retained $29,953,864.44 in fees from 340,202 class members during the class period.
Payment depends on your fee history:
- If you paid net fees above $0: You receive a pro rata payment, meaning a share of the remaining fund based on your share of the fees SeatGeek retained, as defined in the settlement agreement.
- If your net fees were $0 or less: For example, because of a refund or chargeback, you are entitled to a fixed $15.
Payments are due within 90 days after final judgment, by PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or check. Checks not cashed within 180 days become void. Money left over goes to a second pro rata distribution, capped so no one receives more than the fees they paid, or $15 for the fixed-payment group. If a second distribution is not practical, the remainder goes to a nonprofit cy pres recipient, meaning a charity whose work relates to the case.
No exact payment estimate yet
The settlement documents do not state a per-person dollar amount. Final payments depend on court-approved fees and costs and on which class members file valid claims.
Who is in the settlement class
The settlement class includes all individuals who bought electronic tickets to events in Nevada through seatgeek.com or the SeatGeek mobile app between November 7, 2020 and May 12, 2025 and were charged fees.
The class is defined by the event location, not where you live. A buyer from California who bought SeatGeek tickets to a Las Vegas show during the class period may be included, while a Nevada resident who bought tickets only for out-of-state events is not.
How to file a claim
The settlement administrator began emailing notices on October 7, 2026. You can file in two ways.
Online. Go to the official site, seatgeeknevadaclassaction.com, and log in with the Login ID and PIN printed at the top left of your email notice. If you cannot find them, email info@SeatGeekNevadaClassAction.com with your full name and mailing address to request them.
By mail. Download the claim form from the official site and mail it to SeatGeek Ticket Fee Settlement, c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 25191, Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958, postmarked by January 5, 2027.
The administrator can be reached at (866) 675-2690. Class counsel are Philip L. Fraietta and Stefan Bogdanovich of Bursor & Fisher, P.A., reachable at (646) 837-7150.
Your other options
Do nothing. You get no payment but still give up your right to sue SeatGeek over the claims in this case.
Opt out. Send a written exclusion request to SeatGeek Ticket Fee Settlement, ATTN: Exclusion requests, P.O. Box 25191, Santa Ana, CA 92799, postmarked by December 6, 2026. You get no payment but keep your right to sue separately.
Object. If you stay in the class but disagree with the settlement or the fee request, you can file an objection by December 6, 2026, following the instructions in the long-form notice.
Watch for the email
Because the online claim requires a Login ID and PIN, check your inbox and spam folder for the notice sent to the email address on your SeatGeek account.
Timeline
- July 1, 2019: Nevada's total-price disclosure requirement for ticket resellers takes effect, according to the complaint.
- November 7, 2020: Start of the class period.
- November 7, 2024: Carbonell files the complaint in federal court in Nevada.
- February 24, 2025: The court stays discovery pending SeatGeek's motion to compel arbitration or dismiss.
- May 12, 2025: End of the class period.
- October 7, 2026: Email notice begins.
- November 22, 2026: Deadline for class counsel's fee motion.
- December 6, 2026: Opt-out and objection deadline.
- January 5, 2027: Claim deadline.
- January 12, 2027: Final approval hearing before U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan at the Lloyd D. George U.S. Courthouse, 333 Las Vegas Blvd. South.
Browse other cases you can join.
What remains uncertain
The court granted preliminary approval, which lets notice go out, but final approval is not guaranteed. The court could reject the settlement at the January 12 hearing, and appeals could delay payments.
Some pages of the settlement agreement did not extract cleanly from the court file, including the precise definition of the fund used for the pro rata formula. We describe the payment method at the level the notice and readable agreement terms support, without estimating dollar amounts.
Frequently asked questions
Who qualifies for the SeatGeek Nevada settlement?
People who bought electronic tickets to Nevada events through seatgeek.com or the SeatGeek app from November 7, 2020 through May 12, 2025 and were charged fees.
How much money will I get?
There is no fixed amount. Most claimants get a share based on the fees they paid. People whose fees were fully refunded or charged back are entitled to a fixed $15.
What is the deadline to file a claim?
January 5, 2027, online by 11:59 p.m. Eastern or by mail postmarked that day.
I lost my Login ID and PIN. What should I do?
Email info@SeatGeekNevadaClassAction.com with your full name and mailing address, or download and mail the paper claim form.
Did SeatGeek admit it broke the law?
No. SeatGeek denies wrongdoing, and the court has not decided whether the claims had merit.
When will payments be made?
The agreement calls for payments within 90 days after final judgment, which can come only after the January 12, 2027 hearing and any appeals.