The decision in 2021 sparked criticism and led to a legal process after the Consumer Ombudsman (KO) sued the organizer, Göteborg Athletics Association.
Both the Patent and Market Court and its higher instance gave the association the right and considered that the organizer was not obliged to pay back any money. The issue went further to the Supreme Court and there the outcome was different.
"An athletics association that organizes major running events used contract terms that meant that registration fees were not refunded to any extent when races were cancelled. The Supreme Court has assessed that the terms are unfair", writes the Supreme Court in a press release.
The Supreme Court continues:
"The Supreme Court therefore prohibits the association, with a fine of one million kronor, from using the same or essentially the same terms in agreements with consumers regarding participation in running events".
The judgment does not, however, give those who registered for the 2021 race the right to a refund.
"The review has not included whether individual persons who were registered for races that were cancelled have the right to get their registration fees back. What the judgment concerns is that the association may not use the same or essentially the same terms in the future", says Christine Lager, one of the judges in the case, in the press release.
