The action taken by the ACCC in obtaining an enforceable undertaking from TEG Live reinforces that promoters of sporting contests, concerts and other entertainment events must be conscious of, and comply with, the requirements of the Australian Consumer Law when promoting and … TEG Live Pty Limited (TEG Live) has committed to refunding over $5 million to about 5000 consumers who bought approximately 20,000 tickets to watch basketball games featuring the USA men’s national basketball team in August 2019, after providing a court-enforceable undertaking to the ACCC. … In fact, the seats at the Melbourne games were not tiered and many consumers had obstructed views.“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,” Mr Sims said.The ACCC also considers that TEG Live may have misled consumers when it advertised the games using names and images of high profile USA players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant that did not ultimately play in the games, when it did not have reasonable grounds in most cases for representing to consumers they would play or be available to play.“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,” Mr Sims said.“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,” Mr Sims said.Affected consumers will receive an email from TEG Live containing a unique reference number and a link to a webform where they can enter their current bank account details to receive a refund before the end of July.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (TEG Live is an Australian promoter of live content in music, sport, family entertainment and exhibitions that take place globally. A copy of our full media release is here. USA Basketball Refunds TEG Live has reached an agreed resolution with the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission relating to its investigation of TEG Live’s promotion of the USA Men’s Basketball games in Melbourne and Sydney in August 2019. The games in which the USA national team played the ‘Boomers’, the Australian national It was the event promoter for the Games and Ticketek Pty Ltd (From 18 June 2018, TEG Live published advertising material featuring visual representations purporting to be Marvel Stadium, formerly known as Etihad Stadium, mocked up to feature a basketball court and tiered seating surrounding the court (the Also, from 15 August 2018, TEG Live published advertising material featuring statements about, and images and videos of specific USA basketball players, including high profile players such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George and James Harden (the To address the ACCC’s concerns, TEG Live provided the ACCC with a section 87B undertaking in which it undertakes to: Sections 18, 29 and 34 of the Australian Consumer Law The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has accepted a court enforceable undertaking from TEG Live Pty Limited (TEG Live) in relation to the promotion of basketball games featuring the USA men’s national basketball team played in Melbourne and Sydney in August 2019 (the Games) that was likely to contravene sections 18, 29 and 34 of the ACL. TEG Live Pty Limited (TEG Live) has committed to refunding over $5 million to about 5000 consumers who bought approximately 20,000 tickets to watch basketball games featuring the USA men’s national basketball team in August 2019, after providing a court-enforceable undertaking to the ACCC.The games in which the USA national team played the ‘Boomers’, the Australian national basketball team, on 22 and 24 August 2019 in Melbourne and the Canadian national basketball team on 26 August 2019 in Sydney, were promoted by TEG Live from March 2018.TEG Live admits it made false or misleading claims about seating at the games held in Melbourne and acknowledged the ACCC’s concerns that it may have breached the Australian Consumer Law by misleading consumers about which USA national basketball team players would be playing, or would be available to play, in the games.“In our view, TEG Live’s conduct was unacceptable, and we are pleased around 5000 consumers will receive refunds before the end of July,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.In addition, when promoting these games, TEG Live used a picture of an American basketball stadium showing the floor-level seats would be tiered.