The newest episode of Kabateck & Karnikian Off the Record takes on what may be the consumer protection story of the summer: how FIFA sold World Cup tickets, and why California Attorney General Rob Bonta is demanding answers.
FIFA sold tickets by category rather than by specific seat, with fans choosing sections off color-coded maps. Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian explain what happened next: after the sales closed, FIFA reclassified sections and reassigned some buyers to lower categories than they paid for, with prime midfield seats going to corporate hospitality and no refunds for the fans who got bumped. At Lumen Field in Seattle, three category two sections were downgraded to category three. Prices climbed too, rising in 90 of 104 categories in the months leading up to the tournament, an average jump of 34%, with category one finals tickets going from a $6,730 face value to $11,000 before brokers ever touched them.
From there Brian and Shant get into the law. They break down why these practices run into California’s unfair competition statute, Business and Professions Code section 17200, and why Bonta and counterparts like New York Attorney General Letitia James are not bound by the mandatory arbitration clause and class action waiver written into the tickets. They also walk through the enforcement tools the attorneys general have if they decide to act, from forcing refunds to possible criminal referrals, and why a state investigation is harder for FIFA to wave off than an individual lawsuit would be.
Kabateck & Karnikian Off the Record is a weekly podcast covering California law, the courts and the politics that shape both. New episodes release every Friday on the Daily Journal Network. Watch the full episode on the Daily Journal Network YouTube channel.