Two baseball fans from New York have filed a class-action lawsuit against Major League Baseball and all 30 teams after they were denied refunds for games that have not been played due to the coronavirus pandemic.
When MLB announced that the start of their season was being postponed, the league decided not to officially cancel any games in hopes that they could be played when the season starts. As a result, teams are refusing to issue refunds for the missed games.
“While many businesses across this country have acted lawfully and ethically by providing consumers with refunds for events that will never occur during this pandemic, sometimes at the risk of bankruptcy, it remains notable that America’s pastime — baseball — is refusing to do right by its fans,” the lawsuit reads, according to the Los Angeles Times. “As stadiums remain empty for the foreseeable future, baseball fans are stuck with expensive and unusable tickets for unplayable games in the midst of this economic crisis.”
The lawsuit argues that even if play resumes, it is likely the games will be held without any fans present.
“Even if some games can be played for the 2020 MLB season, it is near certainty that no fans will attend,” the suit reads. “As such, at a minimum, the defendants should acknowledge this and recognize that its loyal fans cannot bear the entire brunt of the economic hardship of the pandemic while team owners and ticket companies keep the plaintiffs’ money.”
The lawsuit also names Ticketmaster, Stubhub, Live Nation, and Last Minute Transactions as defendants.
NEW YORK SPORTS THIS WEEK 