AFL Clubs Mislead Fans On Refund Rights

[TimmeT]

Twenty-one professional AFL and NRL teams have misled fans over return and refund policies surrounding the sales of club merchandise, it has been revealed.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found nine AFL clubs and 12 NRL clubs have policies on club merchandise such as jerseys, hoodies and caps that violated Australian Consumer Law.

Up until April 2018, many of the clubs made claims that items purchased are only eligible for a refund or return if they were purchased at full price and had not been worn.


All clubs investigated have since rectified their policies.

The ACCC identified nine AFL clubs with misleading policies:

The nine AFL teams found to have misled fans. (AAP)

• Carlton Football Club
• Collingwood Football Club
• Essendon Football Club
• Fremantle Football Club
• Geelong Football Club
• Hawthorn Football Club
• Melbourne Football Club
• Richmond Football Club
• Sydney Swans Football Club

https://finance.nine.com.au/2018/08/16/13/36/21-afl-and-nrl-clubs-misled-fans-on-merchandise-refunds

Pretty poor that the clubs aren't aware of their selling obligations under law and that the AFL din't implement policies or procedures to manage this and ensure such oversights happen.

 

[Mitchell54]

Poor form by the clubs but surely the AFL, as the over arching governing body of the clubs checks this kinda thing as it reflects poorly upon the league.
NRL having 12/16 clubs doing this is woeful however.

All the biggest clubs it looks like are the culprits bar West Coast.

 

[Quivorir]

All those clubs disgust me.

 

[blue harvest]

I don't think they weren't aware of their obligations. This sort of stuff is common knowledge these days. It's more they worded their policies poorly. Obviously if you buy a faulty item they would refund/replace it if you had worn it or bought it on sale. It's likely those statements were more in regard to change of mind situations.

 

[Silent Alarm]

I thought this was going to be about refunding tickets if your team plays like s**t. Don't get me excited.

 

[FRUMPY]

AFL/Clubs are all about making money, so no surprise they are trying to rip off their supporters.

 

[Colonial]

And they call themselves clubs.

Tsk tsk.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[Bell Ringer]

This is not surprising in the least.

Back in 2000 I ordered a long-sleeve Carlton guernsey from the Carlton Shop at PP. It was the on-field version with a raised CFC logo (not sold to public anymore) and personalised with #8. When I went to pick it up I noticed that they had put the #8 on upside down - Nike numbers at the time had a bigger bottom loop. They initially refused to fix the mistake until I mentioned the ACCC, on advice from a mate studying law, and they quickly backed down.

Slow learners it seems...

 

[Plat]

AFL/Clubs are all about making money, so no surprise they are trying to rip off their supporters.

If your team loses by 10 goals or more you get your money back.

 

[Milanista28]

All those clubs disgust me.

It would've been North as well but no fans bought their merchandise.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Incredible that an organisation can make statements contrary to law. For very small businesses it's a valid issue that they dont have the competence necessarily. These clubs and their shops are not that small and it's inexuseable.

 

[hawkman]

If your team loses by 10 goals or more you get your money back.

Carlton would be broke

 

[Ron The Bear]

People aren't generally aware of their consumer rights. It's not just footy clubs who lie to customers.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

People aren't generally aware of their consumer rights. It's not just footy clubs who lie to customers.

That's the ugly truth. It's the result of bean counters calculating the cost if losing disputes is less than the profit if people complying if you bluff them. It means those loud mouth whingers you hate are doing an essential service against the odds. Heavy sanctions are the right response in ny view.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Not surprising at all. People are extremely unaware of their consumer rights in Australia and shitloads of businesses take advantage of that.

People generally accept being treated like s**t on many low-cost issues because they don't want to commit the time / effort to resolve it properly.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Yeah just reading it, it's about returns which is a massive area of misinformation.

So many businesses / shops have "Our returns policy" displayed.

Err you don't have a returns policy. Consumer law has a returns policy which you have to abide by.

 

[Ron The Bear]

That's the ugly truth. It's the result of bean counters calculating the cost if losing disputes is less than the profit if people complying if you bluff them. It means those loud mouth whingers you hate are doing an essential service against the odds. Heavy sanctions are the right response in ny view.

As related above, mention the ACCC and if they know they're doing the wrong thing, they'll quickly back down.

I can sympathise a little with businesses operating on small margins and offering customers the best prices. In my experience, that doesn't include footy clubs!

 

[blue harvest]

Yeah just reading it, it's about returns which is a massive area of misinformation.

So many businesses / shops have "Our returns policy" displayed.

Err you don't have a returns policy. Consumer law has a returns policy which you have to abide by.

Yeah but a lot of places have a returns policy that goes above and beyond the one required by law, like change of mind situations/doesn't fit/unwanted gift etc which they are under no legal obligation to refund/exchange.

 

[SloppyJoe]

I can't stand this type of behaviour in business, be it deliberate or ignorant.

For every 1 Joe Public who actually manages to get them to abide the law, there are 10 who wear it without ever knowing their rights.

 

[Pessimistic]

I thought this was going to be about refunding tickets if your team plays like s**t. Don't get me excited.

They could give attendees a mercy voucher tot he value of their ticket if they play s**t.

Great incentive

 

[Dirty_banchez]

We need a proper Australian Rules Fans Association. The current mob are pathetic.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Dealt with AFL and clubs on consumer goods in the past

They had zero focus on safety and compliance, everything was about brand and licencing obligations

 

[BartBart]

Bad culture in those clubs.

 

[The 747]

Not surprised. AFL is far less professional than they would like to have you believe.

 

[The Goon]

Not surprised. AFL is far less professional than they would like to have you believe.

You'd be amazed how unprofessional even billion dollar companies are.