The Consumer Council has called on organisers of a meet-and-greet session with former Real Madrid stars to address complaints about last week's event individually. On Friday, fans complained that they had paid HK$6,880 to meet the veteran players but were unable to get their autographs or take photos with them. The council said it has received 16 complaints. "The incident this time was special and has to be addressed in a more individual and targeted manner, because every case is different," the watchdog's chief executive, Gilly Wong, said on an RTHK programme. "If it was a big case involving lots of people, it might have to be handled in a standard manner. But here, each complainant's case can be addressed separately, and they can try to coordinate with the organisers." A man surnamed Wong told RTHK that by the time he was allowed into the meet-and-greet session, some of the players had already left. He said he wasn't impressed with the organisers' efforts to make up for the disappointment, including the offer of a group photo before Real's game against Barcelona at Hong Kong Stadium. "We're obviously dissatisfied. Actually the arrangement just kept getting worse. The arrangement of a group photo was already not particularly good, and they couldn't even arrange a new autograph session afterwards. The incident made us really sad," he said, adding that he wants a full refund. The event organisers have apologised, explaining that players left early to prepare for the match. A WhatsApp hotline has been set up for those unhappy with the arrangements.
