The Corona pandemic has swept across Sweden and forced many organizers to suspend or postpone their events. Yesterday, data came out that runners demand money back from the Gothenburg shipyard, something that the Gothenburg Post was the first to report on.
"I do not have the opportunity to directly donate SEK 595," wrote one of the reviewers.
But the Gothenburg shipyard is far from alone.
ARN (the General Complaints Board) has received many notifications in a short time and the cycling race Vätternrundan has received twice as many against them compared to the Gothenburg turnaround. Right now, about 30 cases are at ARN.
"Not everyone is happy"The registration fee is between SEK 1475 and 1900 and the organizer has offered half the amount back or participation in next year's run with 50% discount on the registration fee. But not everyone is happy with the proposals.
“If you have paid something and get nothing back, not even an alternative, then you feel cheated and deceived. Especially since it is a large personal expense you have put out, ”writes one of the reviewers.
It is felt financially for me and many with me to lose SEK 900 going to "next year's event", writes another.
- We think we have clear registration conditions. The Swedish model is based on the fact that non-profit associations organize exercise races to give money back to sports associations, says Gunilla Brynell-Johansson.
But if there is no race, shouldn't you get what you paid for then?
- It says in our terms that if there is an extraordinary event, we reserve the right to retain 50 percent. We think this is a change of law.
"There will be no races in the future"What would it mean for you if you were to repay all registration fees?
- Then there will be no races in the future. We start a year before it will be decided and have fixed costs with solid security work. Only it costs three to four million SEK per year. This model is based on the fact that we can have these registration fees. Otherwise it would cost SEK 10,000 per race and then we just turn to an exclusive crowd. And we don't want to.
If ARN says you have to pay, can you go bankrupt then?
- The risk is obvious because it is so. The consequence is that there will be no repayment, because then the bicycle participants are not at the top of the list.