Pennsylvania-based law firm Stern & Eisenberg yesterday filed a "consumer fraud class-action suit against Comcast Spectacor, parent company of the Flyers, on behalf of all 2011-12 full season ticketholders," according to Frank Seravalli of the PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS. The complaint alleges that Comcast-Spectacor and the Flyers "misled season ticketholders by excluding the 2012 Winter Classic game tickets -- a regular-season game held at the Phillies' Citizens Bank Park -- after the contractual ticketholder agreement stated that fans prepaid for 44 home games, three preseason contests and all 41 regular-season home games." Comcast-Spectacor VP/PR Ike Richman said in a statement, "We have been made aware of this frivolous claim, and we are confident that we acted appropriately in all respects." Seravalli notes Comcast-Spectacor "chose to not appeal a March 30 judgment in Montgomery County small-claims court, which awarded season ticketholder Richard Abt approximately $1,300 in a nearly identical suit." Abt was "paid in full by Spectacor, including court costs." Attorney Evan Barenbaum, who is leading the case for Stern & Eisenberg, said, "This was a regular-season game, in Philadelphia, on regulation ice. It should have been a part of the 44-game package that fans paid for" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 5/8). The lawsuit states that Comcast-Spectacor offered to resell the Winter Classic ticket "to the season ticket holders only if they also paid for tickets to two unrelated games -- an exhibition featuring the Flyers and Rangers alumni and a minor league hockey game -- whether they wanted them or not. The suit also alleges that Comcast-Spectacor charged season ticket holders, who "already paid a $10 processing fee for the original season tickets, 'excessive and unearned' processing charges for all three tickets." The amount of the additional processing fee "was not disclosed in the lawsuit" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 5/7).
