Were ticket buyers misled? This question arises from the now-infamous concert "Manai dzimtenei" (To My Homeland). Initially, the organizers linked it to the name of Raimonds Pauls, but the maestro himself distanced himself from the event. Although the concert is claimed to still take place, some buyers have already united and are preparing for legal proceedings, reports TV3 News.
"My family purchased four tickets at 60 euros each. That's 240 euros," said lawyer Gundars Udris, who is preparing to go to court. According to him, the event organizers misled people by initially creating the impression that the concert would take place with maestro Raimonds Pauls.
"When we went to the Biļešu paradīze website, we saw that Raimonds Pauls was sitting at the piano, and in the title — Raimonds Pauls. The song festival... In this case, there is a clear case of misleading. And then Raimonds Pauls states that he is distancing himself from the event, and people no longer want to attend this concert," Udris said.
The lawyer intends to represent at least ten ticket buyers — family members and others — in court, demanding a refund of the money paid. They previously contacted the concert organizers, but received no response. In turn, the ticket seller stated in writing that the event is not canceled, so tickets are not being accepted back.
Although uncertainty still surrounds the concert "Manai dzimtenei," it has not been officially canceled yet. This means that in July — at the Great Stage in Mežaparks — some event may still take place, although it is not yet clear what kind of concert it will be.
The concert organizers declined an interview with TV3 on Monday, promising to provide more detailed information soon. They also confirmed that the concert will take place and that active work is currently underway to prepare for it.
The Consumer Rights Protection Center (PTAC) has also received several statements and a number of phone calls from ticket buyers.
"If consumers saw these artists in the program at the time of purchasing tickets and it was important to them, they should contact the organizers and resolve the situation," noted PTAC representative Edite Drozd.
The PTAC is currently monitoring the situation and notes that there has not yet been a basis for taking any specific actions.
"At the moment, the event exists, tickets are being sold, and there is no reason to assert that it will not take place. If the situation worsens — if the concert is canceled, the money should be refunded; if the program changes, consumers should contact the organizers. But let’s hope that the event will still take place."
Meanwhile, some ticket buyers are pointing out that there are several organizers for the concert, and this structure raises questions about who exactly is responsible.
