EDMONTON -- As recreational sports leagues make the call to cancel their upcoming seasons amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some families are left holding the bag.
The Walsh family was one of them.
Rachel Walsh enrolled her oldest son in the Edmonton Ice Crushers 4 on 4 spring hockey league for $309.75 after tax.
When the league was forced to cancel, the young players' families were given two options: credit the registration fee to the 2021 season, or take a 70 per cent refund.
Walsh was not a fan.
“There was no ice time, there was no ref time, there was no coach time. There was nothing that we even paid for. We didn’t play,” said Walsh.
Walsh believes she should be in line for a full refund.
“In these conditions, with people getting laid off and businesses closing down and people losing jobs, there should be a little bit more compassion,” Walsh told CTV News Edmonton via video chat.
But owner and operators of the Ice Crushers, Paul and Kim Stone, are hoping people have some compassion for them.
“We have out of pocket costs,” said Paul Stone while sitting next to wife Kim on video chat.
“You know we have a paid administrator. We have some costs that we can defer to next year. And that’s why we did ask families… if they could transfer their registration to next year, that would help us out too.”
According to one Edmonton lawyer, it all comes down to contract law, but it isn’t exactly black and white.
“You look at what the contract says… well a lot of these things don’t have contracts,” said Iain Cameron of Cameron & Cameron Barristers & Solicitors.
“If you don’t provide the service that was paid for, then you have no reason to keep the money unless you can show that you incurred some kind of damages,” he said.
The Edmonton Ice Crushers sent out an email to their customers itemizing costs they say were associated with the upcoming season.
“There’s your conundrum,” said Cameron. “Unless you have a written agreement that says, ‘You’re entitled to a refund in full,’ you’re arguing it.”
“If they haven’t done anything for you,” he said. “And they haven’t partly performed you should get your refund, but again you’d have to tell it to the courts.”
Cameron said that the situation between Walsh and the Edmonton Ice Crushers is basically the company trying to negotiate a deal with its consumers.
“The consumer doesn’t have to go with the offer,” noted Cameron. “They can challenge the offer, but if the league won’t pay a full refund, the only way you’re going to force them is to go to court.”
“It’s really going to be up to the judge and what the judges do with this pandemic issue.”
