UDINE. The first day of Serie A under the Dazn monopoly did not go as the company and, above all, the football fans had hoped. But it went as many feared: intermittent streaming, connection loss, low video quality. The problems started as early as Saturday, with numerous inefficiencies reported during Inter-Genoa (the only match for which Dazn took responsibility) and Verona-Sassuolo.
The League will ask Dazn for an account
Lega Serie A will ask Dazn for the inefficiencies linked to the broadcasting of some of the matches scheduled for the first weekend of the championship. Although the platform explained that the problems were solved in a few minutes, the League wants to understand more. According to what he writes The Republic, after a day of agitation in the chats of the presidents and managers of the clubs, the leaders of the association decided to write a letter to the broadcaster today.
Protests and Faq
Given that many customers (the company claims they are the overwhelming majority) have seen the games without any problems, the protests were still many, so much so as to induce the Lega Calcio to ask the broadcaster for an explanation. In the meantime, the National Consumers Union announces two complaints against Dazn, one to Antitrust “which at the end of July had closed the precautionary procedure, but against a commitment by Dazn to provide services for viewing the matches on digital terrestrial of connection problems “explains the president Massimiliano Dona, the other to Agcom, the telecommunications authority. We try to understand what the rights of consumers are and whose responsibilities are.
Can I ask Dazn for a refund?
The answer is no. Streaming platforms such as Dazn, but also Amazon Prime and Netflix just to name the major ones, “are not subject to any regulation apart from the Civil Code” explains Mauro Vergari, head of studies, research and innovation at Adiconsum, one of the leading telecommunications experts. What does it mean? That these companies do not have to comply with either an electronic communications code (as Sky and Mediaset, which are television operators, must do) or the Consumer Code. For example, explains Vergari, no free conciliation to resolve disputes, no resolution establishing the rights of the customer in the event of a service not provided or provided in fits and starts. If a refund does come, it will only be Dazn’s “concession”, not because it is required to offer it.
Can I cancel for free?
Yes: in fact it is the only weapon in the hands of the consumer. Cancellation is possible at any time and Dazn does not apply penalties. In this case, however, it will not be possible to see Serie A because Dazn is the only assignee of the TV rights of the Italian championship and the Lega Calcio did not claim technological neutrality in the announcement. In short, there is no obligation to broadcast on satellite, digital terrestrial and streaming to meet the fans.
Reimbursement: is it possible by following the legal path?
Yes. As mentioned, companies like Dazn are subject to the Civil Code. Article 1218, for example, provides for compensation for damage which in this case means the return of part of the monthly subscription. But the legal way, precisely because conciliation is not possible, is long: you have to send a registered letter to the company, wait for the reply and, in case of no reply or if this is insufficient, you can contact the justice of the peace. For a few euros it is a path that is hardly worth taking.
Why do I only have problems with Dazn, while I see Netflix perfectly well?
They are both streaming services but there is a big difference between the two: to see a series on Netflix we download the video and watch it without interruptions or buffering; a football match is broadcast in real time and, above all, is watched by hundreds of thousands or even more than a million people at the same time. And this is how the funnel effect is created: one hypothesis is that Dazn’s servers, flooded with requests, have been overwhelmed, failing to send a good enough signal at all. According to the Adiconsum expert, it is likely that this is the case, “also because with Sky Go, which was Sky’s streaming service until a few months ago, the disruptions were not so widespread. The sign that it is not so much a question of connection on the customer side, but of upstream problems that Dazn does not seem to have solved “.
Can I have clarifications from my telephone operator?
In theory, yes: however, it is necessary to understand if the disservice is due to the telephone company or to Dazn. For example, many customers have complained about problems despite having broadband connections. Dazn claims that, apart from the three-minute block during Inter-Genoa, any other disruptions are to be attributed to connection problems of individual users (for example for those who connect from poorly served areas or overloaded wifi, they hypothesize by the company) . To remove the doubt, the best thing is to do the test on Measure the Internet during the game, a speed test that can be used as evidence against your manager. If the line is slower than what is stipulated in the contract (watch out for the minimum guaranteed speed, not the maximum), the operator can undertake to solve the problem within 48 hours or, if it fails, propose a monthly fee more low without prejudice to the possibility of the customer to withdraw at no cost.