The Guarantor took the floor peremptorily on the Dazn case and the requests for reimbursement. And it did so through a press release published on the official website on Thursday 20 January.
The AgCom (Authority for telecommunications guarantees) intervened with three measures, which in summary do not provide for fines for Dazn, but only a reimbursement for future disservices caused to its users.
On the one hand, the measures pardon the platform, not sanctioning the problems already caused to a rather large number of subscribers. On the other hand, however, it imposes a series of rather stringent rules, which must be followed by the company based in London.
Let’s see in more detail two of the three AgCom measures reported in the press release of 20 January. And let’s find out how Dazn’s refunds will happen. Which for this year (and the next three) broadcasts every week in streaming 7 matches out of 10 of the Serie A football championship exclusively (and the other 3 in co-exclusive).
The three measures
The measures with which the Guarantor intervened against Dazn are three. One relates to the quality of the service, another to consumer protection and the third to audience ratings. Let’s focus on the first two, since the third concerns the parameters related to the audience.
The quality of the service
In the first provision, AgCom explains that “in order to protect the right of subscribers to see each game satisfactorily guaranteed without interruption, it has defined objective quality parameters, thresholds and criteria for the compensation to be paid in the event of a disruption and proceeded to quantify them. “
The parameters in question are the malfunction in accessing the platform, the malfunction in accessing the single event, the minimum resolution for viewing the event, the number of disconnections and the total freezing time..
And here’s what Dazn will have to do: make available to each user, during the playback of the games, a window that can be opened with a click, containing information on the parameters measured during the streaming of the events. In the reserved area, the parameters will be kept for at least six months from the end of each event.
With these parameters, the user can contact Conciliaweb (the Agcom platform that regulates relations between customers and operators) and request compensation. However, he will have to attach a speed test, with which he will demonstrate that the problems encountered did not depend on the connection.
However, the thresholds from which Dazn will have to make the reimbursement are not indicated in the Guarantor’s note.
For each accepted request, Dazn will have to pay a refund (in the form of a discount on the invoice) equal to 25% of the user’s monthly subscription up to a maximum of four times in a month, and the refund can reach 100% of the monthly subscription. Each user can make a request for compensation within 7 days of the event. Dazn has three months to adjust.
Consumer protection
With the second provision, the Guarantor initiated “a sanctioning procedure against Dazn for not having fully complied with the order with which the Authority ordered the company to take all necessary measures for the purpose of respecting the rights of users, implementing an effective and efficient customer assistance service, which provided for the possibility of contact direct with a natural person, in addition to any technical measure functional to prevent malfunctions of its platform of origin of the television signal transmitted “.
In fact, AgCom considered the platform’s initiatives to be insufficient, both as regards the customer assistance system and the quality of the live streaming match broadcasts.
No fines, therefore, for the disservices that Dazn has caused its users so far.
Dazn’s note
Dazn’s note on the subject is dry and neutral: “DAZN takes note of AGCOM’s resolutions regarding the three measures for service quality, consumer protection and audience ratings, reserving the right to read the details of the decisions taken by the Authority”.
The disservices of Dazn
There was great anticipation for Dazn, who as of this year has the weekly exclusive on 7 out of 10 matches of the Serie A football championship.
Unfortunately, in this first part of the championship there were several inefficiencies of the platform, and numerous requests for reimbursement to Dazn by users. The first day of the championship, which we wrote about in another article, is emblematic.
Of course, Dazn has repeatedly explained that part of the disservices are not to be charged directly by the company. But it is also true that if you offer a paid service, users expect it to be of good quality. While they are not very interested in tracing the culprit of any technical disruptions.
The clarity of the AgCom measures seems to go in the same direction.