Organizer to refund Australian fans over $3M after USA Basketball snafu
The organizer of last summer's FIBA exhibition games between the United States and Australia in Melbourne will refund some 5,000 fans approximately $3.1 million USD after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found TEG Live's conduct "unacceptable."
"TEG Live admits it made false or misleading claims about seating at the games held in Melbourne and ... acknowledged 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," the ACCC said in a release.
Two pre-FIBA World Cup games between the Americans and Boomers were played at the 54,000-seat Marvel Stadium, a venue normally used for Aussie Rules football. The resulting seat layout left many fans, including actor Russell Crowe, angry.
Lots of talk already about the view from ground level at Marvel Stadium where ticket holders paid hundreds of dollars to see #BoomersUSA. This is the view... https://t.co/KUpXuYFahM pic.twitter.com/m8Zh3mMPxa
— Rohan Smith (@Ro_Smith) August 22, 2019
Spectators paid between $560 and $2,500 for floor-level seats.
The ACCC also said TEG Live may have misled consumers when it advertised games using the names and images of LeBron James and Kevin Durant, who were initially named to USA Basketball's initial 35-man 2018-20 player pool but did not play.
"In the end, only four players from the 35-man squad - Harrison Barnes, Kemba Walker, Khris Middleton, and Myles Turner - played in the games," the ACCC said.