TEG Live To Refund Over $5 Million For USA Basketball Games In Australia
TEG Live has committed to refunding over $5 Million to about 5000 consumers who bought approximately 20,000 tickets to basketball games in Australia featuring the USA men’s national basketball team in August 2019.
The games in which the USA team played the Australian men’s national basketball team, the ‘Boomers’ in Melbourne and the Canadian national basketball team in Sydney which were promoted by TEG Live from March 2018.
This decision comes as TEG Live admits it made false or misleading claims about seating at the games held in Melbourne and acknowledged the ACCC’s concerns it may have breached the Australian Consumer Law by misleading consumers about which players would be playing in each game.
ACCC chair, Rod Sims, said TEG Live’s use of a picture of an American basketball stadium showing the floor-level seats as a tiered structure without obstructed views is unacceptable and action had to be taken.
“In our view, TEG Live’s conduct was unacceptable, and we are pleased around 5000 consumers will receive automatic refunds before the end of July,” Sims said.
“Consumers paid a premium for floor-level seats, ranging between $895 and $3995 for a hospitality package and may have done so as a result of misleading seating advertising.
“Over a year before the games, a 35-man squad was selected, and TEG Live included the names and images of the majority of those players in its advertisements.
“In the end, only four players from the 35-man squad, Harrison Barnes, Kemba Walker, Khris Middleton and Myles Turner, played in the games.
“We are concerned consumers may have purchased tickets believing many of these advertised high profile players would be playing when, in the end, this was not the case,” he said.
TEG Live will provide refunds to the following consumers in relation to the three basketball games in Australia involving the USA men’s basketball team in both Melbourne and Sydney:
- Consumers who purchased tickets on or after August 15, 2018, made a refund request prior to the relevant game on the basis that one or more USA players referred to in the advertisements were not attending and did not attend the game
- Consumers who purchased floor-level seats at the Melbourne games between June 18, 2018 and August 24, 2019.
