Investigation of E-complaints Made to Fan Stores of Sports Clubs

ABSTRACTThe aim of research is to determine how satisfied the fans are with the shopping stores where the sports clubs sell their licensed commercial products. Document analysis was used in this study. The website “www.sikayetvar.com” is a platform that tries to protect consumer rights by publishing many shopping-related complaints. In this platform, the complaints of the fans of the four sports clubs (Besiktas, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, and Trabzonspor) in Turkey were examined, and their satisfaction with the fan stores was examined within the framework of the cause-effect relationship. The complaint profiles of the brands were examined by considering 569 complaints filed between 01.01 - 31.12.2021 on the website of Kartal Yuvası, Fenerium, GS Store, and TS Club, which are the fan stores of Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, and Trabzonspor clubs. Complaint texts were analyzed and coded by three experts in the field. Common codes were determined by re-reading and evaluation by the researchers. The themes that could be the main titles of the codes obtained were determined. Themes and codes are tabulated. The data obtained were compared with the results of the survey evaluation conducted by the “www.sikayetvar.com” platform regarding 569 complaints. A descriptive analysis was undertaken to strengthen the validity of the research. As a result, it has been determined that there are many problems under the headings of product and customer relations management, the fans are not satisfied with the stores where the sports clubs sell licensed products, and the sports clubs cannot establish sustainable customer relations with their fans.Keywords: Customer Satisfaction, E-complaint, Fan, Sports Club