The Washington Commanders have settled a lawsuit brought by Washington D.C.’s attorney general over the NFL franchise having allegedly violated consumer protection laws in the district by keeping season ticket deposits it should have returned to consumers. In the settlement, the team agreed to return $200,000 of deposit money to impacted fans, and pay another $425,000 to the district as well.

Maryland saw a similar settlement from the franchise in December for consumers in that state. Both lawsuits centered around the team having reportedly keeping fan deposits for years after ticket contracts expired, improperly using the funds it should have long ago paid back to consumers and making it difficult for those consumers to reclaim the money from the team despite being owed those funds.

“Rather than being transparent and upfront in their ticket sale practices, the Commanders unlawfully took advantage of their fan base, holding on to security deposits instead of returning them,” Schwalb said in a statement. “Under this settlement agreement, our office will maintain strict oversight over the Commanders to ensure all necessary steps are taken to reimburse fans for the refunds they are entitled to.”

According to the AP, the terms of the settlement include a requirement that the Commanders conduct a public records search to locate any fans who are owed money and attempt to notify them in order to begin the process of repaying those funds. They have to disclose the refund process on their website, as well as provide regular updates to the Attorney General’s office regarding the progress of the efforts.

“We have not accepted security deposits or seat licenses in more than a decade and have been actively working to return any remaining deposits since 2014,” a Commanders spokesperson said in an email to The Associated Press. “We are pleased to have reached an agreement on the matter with the D.C. attorney general and will work with the office to fulfill our obligations to our fans.”

Washington owner Dan Snyder has been a magnet for controversy throughout his ownership of the franchise, and is reportedly actively considering bids from outside investors to sell some or all of his stake in the club.

Last Updated on April 11, 2023 by Dave Clark

https://www.ticketnews.com/2023/04/commanders-settle-d-c-lawsuit-over-withheld-ticket-deposits/