EAGAN, Minn., Feb. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — A Dakota County (MN) court granted a judgment in favor of Eagan-based dermatologist Charles E. Crutchfield III, M.D. for the full amount he paid Inside Sports & Entertainment Group, commonly known as InsideSEG, and its owner, Ety Rybak, for his family to see international superstar Sade at the Target Center in Minneapolis. In his complaint, Crutchfield claimed that he purchased a "world class experience" from InsideSEG based on the company's claims of the services they deliver.
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The complaint outlines that instead, Crutchfield and his family were subject to constant disruptions of camera operators throughout the entirety of the concert. The suit further alleged that efforts to resolve the matter were unsuccessful and that InsideSEG owner Ety Rybak told the Crutchfields the company was not interested in attempting to resolve their concerns.
In their court filings, the Crutchfields describe how they relied upon InsideSEG's promise to deliver an excellent experience for a premium price. All appeared well when the Crutchfields and their children arrived at the venue and were seated in the first row directly in front of the stage, as expected. What they claimed was not expected was how, for the entire performance, a large cameraman was placed directly in front of them, blocking their view of the singer and band for most of the performance. Despite repeated requests during the 90-minute performance, the cameraman refused to move from in front of the Crutchfields' seats.
Following the show, the Crutchfields immediately reported the problem to Ety Rybak, owner of InsideSEG. After a brief discussion, InsideSEG's representatives informed the family that they would not provide anything as a resolution to the Crutchfield's concerns. Rather, Rybak and InsideSEG argued they were not responsible for the "overall experience" but only acted as a ticket broker. Although Ety Rybak offered the Crutchfields what he described as a "great deal" on tickets to Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, Crutchfield rejected the offer when he discovered he could purchase the seats at a lower price on StubHub.com.
When discussions stalled, Crutchfield commenced the Dakota County court action. In an order filed on December 23, 2013, the court entered judgment against InsideSEG and Ety Rybak for the full amount paid for the tickets plus the Crutchfields' costs to bring the action.
"Never having to go to court like this before, it feels good knowing there is accountability for businesses that don't deliver on their promises," Crutchfield observed. "I was terribly disappointed with the experience and felt they completely overpromised and under-delivered."