Refund offer fails to appease

Dozens more people have complained to the Consumer Council since Tatler Asia announced last Friday that it will refund half the ticket price for Lionel Messi's failure to play at an exhibition match.

This raised the number of complaints to 1,368 as of Monday, involving HK$9.47 million ,after the match between Inter Miami and the Hong Kong team at Hong Kong Stadium in front of 38,000 spectators on February 4.

Tatler Asia announced refund arrangements last Friday, offering people who bought tickets costing HK$880 to HK$4,880 from official channels a 50-percent refund.

Details of the refund process will be provided by mid-March.

Tatler said it will face a loss of HK$43 million after the refund of HK$56 million in total. Before the refund, its net income from the match was HK$13 million.

"An event that we had hoped to be the pride of the city and which we have worked very hard on for months, has become the source of great heartbreak," Tatler said, as Messi and his teammate Luis Suarez did not come onto the pitch due to injuries.

"The fact that Messi and Suarez played in Japan on February 7 feels like another slap in the face," the organizer said as it apologized to fans.

Speaking on radio yesterday, council chief executive Gilly Wong Fung-han said compared with other options like holding another event or giving souvenirs to ticket holders, the refund option is "the most ideal arrangement that can comfort fans."

The watchdog reminded fans to retain their tickets, receipts and other evidence for them to get a refund.

Although some fans have thrown away or lost their tickets, Wong said they can still ask for a refund by showing other proof of transactions.

"All electronic payments have transaction records for consumers to easily prove their purchase, such as credit card number, date and time, while the bill can also be considered as proof," Wong said.

But she said it is difficult for tourists to get compensation for other travel expenses like air fare and accommodation.

"Apart from watching the match, tourists can also have other travel experiences, while some people may have visited their relatives in Hong Kong. They may have different reasons for coming to the city," Wong said.

For big events in future, she said the key is to communicate clearly so that consumers understand possible risks when buying tickets and whether they can accept them.

Wong believed people have learned a lesson from the incident.