Office of Fair Trading
 Printable version
|
 E-mail this to a friend
|
Manchester United to revise season ticket terms
Manchester United has agreed with the OFT to revise its season ticket terms and conditions to make them clearer and fairer for fans.
Following a complaint from the Manchester United Supporters Trust in November, the OFT identified a number of potentially unfair terms with the club's season tickets under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations (UTCCRs). The club has responded positively and agreed to amend its terms to ensure that:
* every season ticket holder is now guaranteed a seat at every home league and cup game,
* the club provides clearer information about when a season ticket holder is likely to be moved from their seat for a cup match,
* if fans' season tickets are terminated for failure of credit card payments for cup games they will receive a pro-rata refund of the money they have already paid to the club,
* duplicate season tickets are issued where the original has been lost or stolen, and
* a clearer appeal process is in place to deal with disputes over cancellation of season tickets because of non-payment for cup matches. The club has also agreed to provide clear and upfront information to supporters before they buy their tickets, enabling them to calculate the maximum total cost for a holder over a season based on the club reaching the final stage in all competitions, as well as an indication of the number of home cup games in the previous campaign.
Though Manchester United did not agree that the previous terms and conditions were unfair the club has provided assurances that these changes will be implemented in time for supporters considering the purchase of season tickets for 2009/2010.
Mike Haley, OFT Head of Consumer Protection, said:
'We have worked closely with Manchester United and are pleased that the club has amended its season ticket terms to the considerable benefit of its fans. These changes greatly improve the protection for season ticket holders at all stages of the process, from upfront transparency on potential costs, to a guarantee of a ticket to all home games in all competitions.'
NOTES
1. The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 (UTCCRs) protect consumers against unfair standard terms in contracts they make with traders. The Office of Fair Trading, together with certain other bodies, can take legal action to prevent the use of such terms. The UTCCRs can protect consumers from terms that reduce their statutory or common law rights and from terms that seek to impose unfair burdens on the consumer.
2. The OFT has used its enforcement of the UTCCRs to help improve terms and conditions across a wide variety of sectors. In relation to ticketing terms and conditions for football matches, in December the OFT secured an agreement from Tottenham Hotspur to amend its terms and conditions relating to ticket refunds for fans and wrote to the Football Associations of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland calling on clubs to ensure terms are compliant with the law. See http://www.oft.gov.uk/news/press/2008/142-08.
3. In the event of the loss or theft of a season ticket Manchester United Football Club will issue a duplicate season ticket unless the Club reasonably believes that a ticket holder is, or has been acting in a fraudulent or illegal manner or in breach of any of the ticket's terms and conditions.
PUBLIC enquiries: 0845 7224499 enquiries@oft.gov.uk
OFT
reports and consumer information leaflets are available free
from:
OFT, PO Box 366, Hayes UB3 1XB 0800 389 3158 oft@ecgroup.uk.com
 FINAL.gif)
