JJB to make payments to consumers for replica football shirts

Following legal action by the consumer organisation, Which?, high street retailer JJB Sports has agreed to make payments to people who purchased certain replica football shirts during periods between 2000-2001 .

People who purchased certain England and Manchester United football shirts during certain periods in 2000 or 2001 and joined the case against JJB Sports will receive a payment of £20.

Customers who bought one of the affected shirts but did not join the case will still be able to claim £10 if they present either proof of purchase or the shirt itself, with its label intact, at a JJB store before 5 February 2009*.

Further information on the specific shirts that are affected by this agreement and details of how to claim are available at www.which.co.uk and www.jjbsports.com.

Under the terms of the agreement, JJB Sports will also pay the reasonable legal costs of the case.

Deborah Prince, Head of Legal, Which? says:

“The agreement reached with JJB Sports is a good deal for the hundreds of consumers who purchased football shirts and joined our case against JJB.

“Many of those who purchased the relevant shirts still have the whole of next year to take their shirt or proof of purchase into a JJB store, so we encourage them to do so.”

- Ends –

Notes to Editor

For further information or an interview please contact Nicole Sheinman.

• JJB was one of seven companies that were fined a total of over £16m by the Office of Fair Trading in 2003 for running a cartel that unlawfully fixed the price of England and Manchester United football shirts in 2000 and 2001. JJB Sports paid a £6.7m fine to the government for its part in the cartel.
• Using legal powers under the Enterprise Act 2002, Which? launched a consumer representative action against JJB Sports in February 2007, to claim money for people who purchased the relevant shirts.

*Proof of purchase is a till receipt, credit card statement or bank statement showing proof of purchase during limited periods in 2000 and 2001. If the customer chooses to present a shirt, the payment is reduced to £5 if the label is missing from the shirt. If the customer presents a shirt they must agree to the shirt being indelibly marked.