Officials from the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and MATCH Hospitality AG will visit Costa Rica in September to meet with their counterparts at the National Consumer Commission (Spanish acronym: CNC), an agency of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC).

MATCH Hospitality AG, owner of the exclusive rights to the worldwide FIFA Hospitality Program, has determined that several travel agencies in Costa Rica, including the popular Destinostv.com, have sold travel packages to attend the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil without authorization; in some cases even promising tickets to first-round games without any warranties.

The illusion of traveling to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup could become a big disappointment for many football fans who find out that their travel agents cannot guarantee game tickets.

The only way to buy tickets to preferential World Cup matches is through the FIFA Hospitality World Program, whose packages are marketed exclusively through a global network of tour operators. Sales agents accredited by FIFA are listed on the official website http://hospitality.fifa.com/content/Agents.aspx

FIFA is determined to put an end to speculation, fraud and black market trading of World Cup tickets. To this end, tickets will be not be sold to travel agencies. The non-preferential tickets -those that are not part of the FIFA Hospitality Program- are marketed directly and exclusively through www.fifa.com.

Furthermore, FIFA will limit and regulate the use of tickets allocated to the international football federations that qualify for the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014TM. The football federations will not be able to sell these tickets, either.

Enforcement by FIFA

On July 16^th 2013, representatives of Destinostv.com in Costa Rica were notified of the above by Imral Patel, MATCH Hospitality official. On August 7, 2013, the FIFA legal director also put the travel agency on notice. FIFA reported that the company is not accredited to sell World Cup tickets, nor can it give any assurance that customers will be able to attend games.

Despite the foregoing, Destinostv.com continues to promote and sell tour packages to Brazil, complete with game tickets for the first elimination round. Football fans in Costa Rica are generally unaware that travel agencies do not have tickets in their possession, nor can they obtain any assurance thereof.

Helpless Consumers

Since September 2012, the Committee in Defense of Consumers in Costa Rica has received formal complaints against six travel agencies, including Destinostv.com, that promise World Cup tickets despite not being authorized to do so.

Such false advertising from travel agencies not accredited by FIFA, are in violation of Public Law Number 7472 to Promote Fair Competition and Effective Consumer Protection. Essentially, these agencies are offering a product that cannot be sold to the public.