Advertisement
Hong Kong watchdog asked to tidy up Messi affair as it fields 629 complaints seeking HK$4.15 million in refunds over footballer’s failure to play
- Consumer Council says highest amount linked to a single complaint stands at about HK$24,000 after Argentine footballer’s absence from match on Sunday
- Most complaints from city residents, watchdog chief executive says, as customers wait for match organiser Tatler Asia to respond to mediation requests
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
10
Hong Kong’s Consumer Council has received more than 600 complaints over football superstar Lionel Messi’s decision to sit out a recent high-profile match, as the watchdog waited for the event’s organiser to respond to mediation requests from customers.
Advertisement
The watchdog said it had handled 629 complaints by Wednesday morning linked to ticket sales from Sunday’s friendly between Inter Miami and a Hong Kong XI, with the claims involving about HK$4.15 million (US$530,648) in total.
The highest amount linked to a single complaint stood at HK$24,224 and the funds involved averaged HK$6,599 a case.
Most of the 527 reports came from city residents.
“Locals also tended to spend more than tourists on average, probably because the entire family went together,” Gilly Wong Fung-han, the council’s chief executive, told a radio programme on Wednesday.
Advertisement
“By looking at the amount for each case … you can really tell consumers were quite willing to spend for this football match.”
Advertisement