Recently, the twists and turns of "Ronaldo's trip to China" have attracted the attention of netizens. According to the original plan, football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and his Riyadh Victory team will play Shanghai Shenhua and Zhejiang team in Shenzhen on January 24 and 28 respectively. Thousands of Ronaldo fans rushed to this "idol appointment" with enthusiasm.
But just one day before the game, on January 23, the organizers held a press conference to announce that Ronaldo could not play due to physical reasons, and the Riyadh Victory team's trip to China was postponed. On January 26, according to the latest official news from the organizer of the Riyadh Victory China Tour, Ronaldo & Riyadh Victory China Tour was postponed to August-September this year.
However, the incident did not end with the announcement of the postponement. In addition to tickets, the resulting "machine wine costs" will be compensated, how to compensate, and when to compensate are in front of them. In fact, this is also a real problem faced by all kinds of concerts, music festivals, ball games, etc., which have been temporarily canceled in recent years, and frequently cause controversy.
Source: Internet
Significant?
Fans question the organizer's "painting cake"
According to a number of media reports, as early as before the departure of Riyadh's victory, there was news that Ronaldo was injured. However, the pre-negotiation and initial execution of the event were not affected.
On the evening of January 21, the Riyadh Victory team chartered a flight to Shenzhen, which was broadcast live on local television. During the live broadcast, the person in charge of the organizer of this tournament said in a confident tone: "The news we got is that Ronaldo does have some injuries in his routine training, but we think this is something that professional players are used to. Riyadh Victory Club has a very strict physical recovery and training system, and as far as we know now, Ronaldo will be involved in all the events of this Riyadh Victory China tour. ”
On the 22nd, Riyadh Victory conducted its first training session after arriving in China, during which Ronaldo did not appear, but Ronaldo attended the welcome dinner that day.
Source: Internet
In the face of the organizer's "sudden cancellation" operation, a large number of fans protested and gathered outside the hotel to express their dissatisfaction with the organizers. At the same time, social platforms are full of voices questioning the rationality of the event arrangement and how to compensate in the future.
Source: Weibo
"I'm really angry, this is the meeting I want to meet my idol day and night, and now it's all in vain. I had collected a lot of information and information in advance, and I felt that everything had been decided on the hotel and air ticket, but now I think it was just a smoke bomb released by the organizers. Xiao Zhao, a fan from Beijing, introduced his travel plan to a reporter from the rule of law, saying that the time and method of travel were well thought out, so everything was disrupted.
Another Ronaldo fan, Xiao Piao, said that he and his partners arrived at the stadium on the 23rd against the cold wind, and also made some publicity preparations, just hoping that the event would go smoothly. In the face of the news of the sudden cancellation, Xiaopiao said that he couldn't accept it - "There is nothing more uncomfortable than being disappointed with full expectations, like a scam, including arranging for Ronaldo to attend dinner, all kinds of circumstances are considered to be a 'reassurance' for fans, so many people buy tickets and arrange trips as usual." She said.
In this regard, Chen Yinjiang, deputy secretary-general of the China Consumer Rights Protection Law Research Association, said that events, performances and other activities will inevitably have unexpected factors, and there is a possibility of temporary cancellation. However, this does not exempt the organizer from liability. If the event organizer deliberately conceals the actual situation and fails to confess to the consumer for a long time, it may be suspected of fraud. According to Article 55 of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests, where a business operator commits fraud in providing goods or services, it shall, at the request of the consumer, increase the compensation for the losses suffered, and the amount of the increased compensation shall be three times the price of the goods purchased by the consumer or the cost of the service received by the consumer. If fans doubt the reasonableness and legitimacy of the organizers of Ronaldo's trip to China, they can file a complaint with the relevant administrative department and request an investigation into whether there is consumer fraud.
The compensation plan is released
The road to claims has not been smooth
When many fans expressed doubts about the follow-up compensation, the tournament organizers quickly announced a refund and compensation plan: fans who have already purchased tickets can get a full refund, and the organizer will also compensate for the actual air tickets and hotel expenses incurred. Fans who purchase tickets through regular channels can apply for a full refund through the original channel. Fans can also hold their orders, which will be extended until the event is postponed. At the same time, the organizer will compensate according to the actual air ticket and hotel expenses incurred.
Source: Internet
On the 27th, a reporter from the rule of law network learned that some fans have received refunds for event tickets.
Source: Weibo
However, regarding the scope of compensation for transportation and accommodation expenses and the compensation process, many fans reported to reporters that the road to compensation was not smooth.
Jerry, a fan of the law, said that in fact, the compensation plan announced by the organizers is quite restrictive. Transportation is only reimbursed for train and plane tickets (economy class). Only the transportation expenses and accommodation expenses for the 23rd and 24th January will be reimbursed for the purchase of tickets for the 24 January match, and only the cancellation fee for the 27 to 29 months will be reimbursed for the purchase of tickets for the 28 January match. And he arrived in Shenzhen by plane on the 26th, which was not within the time frame of compensation. He believes that the scope of compensation from the organizers is too narrow, and many fans will travel two days in advance due to long distances or work arrangements. "There is also a fan from Xinjiang who also flew on the 26th, with a one-way ticket of more than 3,000 yuan, and the loss was very large. ”
Source: Courtesy of the interviewee
Fan Xiao Chen also said that he and his friends were tickets on the 24th, because the organizer postponed the press conference and got off the plane to know the cancellation of the game. The damage to time and property is not covered by the Organiser's onerous terms of compensation. She bluntly said that if the organizer is professional enough, he should understand Ronaldo's status in advance and discuss the postponement plan with the club, so as not to cause a large loss of fans.
In addition, fan Xiaoye found in a Ronaldo fan group that because the organizer did not clarify the reimbursement format and reimbursement process for machine wine, many fans were confused about it, and how to apply for compensation by email became a difficulty. It is only up to some of the more experienced fans to spontaneously share the tutorial on how to apply for compensation and remind each other of the time limit for compensation.
Source: Weibo
The inability to find an official feedback channel is also a focus of many fans. Jerry reluctantly said that the real-time dialogue between rights protection and appeals could not be carried out, and only mentioned in the compensation plan that if the compensation review is not approved, the staff will contact him by phone alone. "I don't expect this kind of one-way conversation to be effective. ”
Xiao Chen said that he did not contact the organizer's manual customer service, and could only contact the customer service of the ticketing platform. "At present, I have sent an email for compensation for machine wine, but I have not received a reply. I heard that many fans have sent emails, but the review is very slow, and it is not clear when the compensation will arrive. On the other hand, there are still many fans who want to inquire about claims that are not covered by the compensation, but they have not found a special official feedback channel. ”
It is reported that the commercial event of Ronaldo's trip to China was co-sponsored by Changxin Media Group and Yaoqi (Shanghai) Sports and Culture Development Co., Ltd.
According to public information on the Internet, the two major organizers seem to lack experience in organizing relevant events. According to the company's information, Yaoqi (Shanghai) Sports Culture Development Co., Ltd. was established in April 2023, less than a year ago, and is mainly engaged in sports event planning and sports venue facility operation. The long-term main business of Changxin Media Group, another organizer, is film and television production, and has produced works such as "Iron Pear Flower" and "Brave Heart", but it has rarely set foot in sports-related industries before. However, Guo Jingyu, chairman of Changxin Media, once said that following the victory of Riyadh in China, the company will spare no effort to promote the combination of big culture and big sports in the future, and create a commercial event system that accompanies the growth of a new generation of fans.
Source: Qichacha
A reporter from the rule of law network called the phone number left on the website of the organizer Changxin Media Group, but could not get through. Immediately, he sent an interview request to the official Douyin account, Weibo account and the contact email address responsible for the follow-up payment, but did not receive a response by press time.
Last-minute cancellations or postponements are not uncommon
"Machine wine compensation" has become the focus
In fact, in addition to sports events, it is not uncommon for various performances and music festivals to be suddenly cancelled or postponed, resulting in compensation disputes and controversies. It is worth noting that, in addition to ticket refunds, "machine wine compensation", that is, compensation for related transportation and accommodation expenses, has become the focus of consumers' attention and the difficulty of rights protection, and has not been able to form clear norms and standards.
On October 19, 2022, the much-watched Eason Chan's "FEAR AND DREAMS WORLD TOUR - MACAO" concert was announced to be postponed, only one day before the start of the concert. Eason Chan posted a blog saying that he was not feeling well and could not meet with everyone for the time being. The announcement of the concert postponement was so urgent, and the solution did not deal with the problem of air tickets and hotels, which disappointed many fans.
Source: Internet
In December 2022, the Chengdu "Amazing Infinite Holiday" concert was announced to be cancelled 3 hours before the event. The reason is that the main cast and crew Yuan Yawei suddenly had a physical health condition. The performance team issued an announcement saying that foreign fans who made a special trip to Chengdu can be exempted from tickets with relevant information vouchers, and local fans in Chengdu will be 50% off tickets. This move has caused dissatisfaction among many fans, especially for the resulting transportation and accommodation expenses. The relevant performance team has updated the compensation plan again, and fans can choose to fully subsidize the transportation and hotel expenses to Chengdu, or they can choose to extend the ticket subsidy.
In August 2023, the Live House show hosted by "Capsule Entertainment" was canceled just two days before the first stop in Guangzhou. The organizer said that it was "tentatively postponed", and the ticket money would be refunded in the original way, and said that it would "give everyone a certain amount of compensation at the beginning of the re-performance", but the statement did not give a date or specific compensation plan for the re-performance, which caused huge controversy among music fans.
The difference is that in September this year, singer Xue Zhiqian encountered an unexpected situation at a concert held in Chengdu. Due to a severe tonsil inflammation that led to a high fever of 39 degrees, Xue Zhiqian had to cancel the concert halfway. Later, the refund rules were announced, mentioning that users who choose to refund tickets for non-Chengdu locals can be reimbursed for hotels, air tickets, and train tickets. Subsequently, the refund rules also rushed to the hot search because of "sincerity", "bursting with a sense of security" and "comprehensive coverage".
Source: Weibo
The reporter combed through a number of cases and found that the event was temporarily canceled or postponed, and in most cases, the organizer no longer bears other responsibilities to consumers after the ticket is refunded.
In this regard, Li Jie, a member of the lawyer expert database of the "Rule of Law Daily" and director of Beijing Guantao Zhongmao (Qingdao) Law Firm, said that in sports events, the organizer temporarily cancels the event, and the scope and standard of compensation are not specifically stipulated, but according to the relevant provisions of the Civil Code, if one of the parties fails to perform its contractual obligations or the performance of its contractual obligations does not conform to the agreement, it shall bear the liability for breach of contract such as continuing to perform, taking remedial measures or compensating for losses.
Tan Guojian, an arbitrator and expert member of the Guangzhou Arbitration Commission, also said in an interview with Southern Metropolis Daily that the organizer and the relevant ticket-selling entities and consumers formed a sales contract relationship when completing the bill transaction. If the performance is temporarily cancelled due to reasons other than force majeure, the loss of tickets, hotels, etc., is a loss caused by the temporary cancellation of the performance, and the consumer can negotiate with the organizer for compensation, and if the negotiation fails, he can also file a lawsuit with the court to protect his rights.
Chen Yinjiang reminded that in recent years, there have been frequent incidents of damage to consumer rights and interests due to the sudden cancellation of activities. Therefore, the responsibilities of the organizers need to be further consolidated, and supervision and guidance are also essential. The organizers themselves need to make scientific, reasonable and prudent plans and arrange activities, formulate corresponding countermeasures for various possible situations, and avoid gambling mentality. In the early stage, it is necessary to disclose the relevant information in a timely manner to ensure consumers' right to know and the right to choose, so as to avoid greater property and mental losses. Once the event is cancelled, the after-sales mechanism and safeguard measures should be improved. For example, take the initiative to contact consumers to understand their demands, seek negotiation and dialogue, and pay compensation in a timely manner. In addition, the relevant administrative departments should play a guiding and regulatory role, guiding the organizers to carry out activities in good faith and in accordance with the law, and promptly investigate and deal with acts involving false publicity and infringement of consumer rights and interests.
Source: Rule of Law Network