Christine Morales, Vanessa Williams, and Carly Charalambou v. SportsEngine, Inc.

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 17, 2025
Docket1:24-cv-02971
StatusUnknown

This text of Christine Morales, Vanessa Williams, and Carly Charalambou v. SportsEngine, Inc. (Christine Morales, Vanessa Williams, and Carly Charalambou v. SportsEngine, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Christine Morales, Vanessa Williams, and Carly Charalambou v. SportsEngine, Inc., (S.D.N.Y. 2025).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK CHRISTINE MORALES, et al., Plaintiffs, 24-CV-2971 (JGLC) -against- OPINION AND ORDER SPORTSENGINE, INC., Defendant. JESSICA G. L. CLARKE, United States District Judge: Plaintiffs Christine Morales, Vanessa Williams, and Carly Charalambou (together, “Plaintiffs”), bring this action against SportsEngine, Inc. (“SportsEngine” or “Defendant”) for (1) deceptive acts or practices under New York General Business Law (“GBL”), (2) false advertising under New York GBL, (3) unjust enrichment, (4) violations of California’s unfair competition law, (5) false and misleading advertising under California Business and Professional Code §17500, et seq., (6) and violation of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (“ADTPA”). Defendant now moves to dismiss the complaint pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) and to strike Plaintiffs’ putative claims under the ADTPA pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(f). For the reasons stated herein, SportsEngine’s motion to dismiss is GRANTED, and SportsEngine’s motion to strike is DENIED as moot. BACKGROUND I. Facts The following facts are, unless otherwise noted, taken from the Amended Complaint and presumed to be true for the purposes of the instant motion. See LaFaro v. N.Y. Cardiothoracic Grp., PLLC, 570 F.3d 471, 475 (2d Cir. 2009). SportsEngine is a software provider for sports leagues, including youth sports organizations, throughout the country. ¶ 18.1 SportsEngine 0F advertises its services to youth organizations, highlighting the convenience of using its services. ¶ 29. These organizations typically pay for services through an annual subscription fee and payment processing charges. ¶ 30. Youth sports organizations that use SportsEngine to manage registration instruct parents or guardians of youth players that they must use SportsEngine to register their children in sport offerings. ¶¶ 3, 28. After a youth sports organization registers for services through SportsEngine, sign ups and communications for that organization occur on the SportsEngine platform. ¶ 32. Youth sports leagues share the SportsEngine link so consumers can register their child for the sport. ¶ 39. When registering their child for a sport, consumers are required to make a SportsEngine account using the software provided by SportsEngine. ¶¶ 33, 40. Consumers enter their name and contact information and agree to be bound by the Terms of Use when creating accounts. ¶¶ 33–34. The Terms of Use do not mention any online processing fees. ¶ 35. When a consumer registers a child for youth sports, a single price is displayed for the

youth sport. ¶ 40. Consumers then enter the child’s information, their team preferences, and decide whether they will purchase any gear. ¶ 41. This process takes consumers through a multi- step series of screens. As part of this, consumers are again shown the prices for the youth sport along with the mandatory requirement that the consumer “PAY ONLINE IN FULL.” ¶ 42. On the screen for consumers to review their registration, the total cost does not include an online processing fee (the “Fee”). ¶ 43. At the last step in the purchase process, SportsEngine discloses a Fee, which goes beyond the advertised price of the sport. ¶¶ 37, 44. The Fee amounts to a

1 All ¶ references herein refer to First Amended Complaint at ECF No. 24 unless otherwise noted. percentage of the cost of the sport and does not provide consumers with any additional value. ¶¶ 6, 56. Additionally, by this point in the process, consumers have taken several steps and invested substantial time into committing to the transaction on SportsEngine’s platform. ¶¶ 45, 47. Plaintiffs allege that many consumers do not notice that the Fee is added to their order while

others believe they have no choice but to pay it. ¶ 47. A. Plaintiff Morales Plaintiff Christine Morales is a resident of Eastvale, California. ¶ 15. She registered her child to play basketball through a youth sports organization on or about July 11, 2023. ¶ 60. The stated price for the registration was $237. Id. This $237 price stayed the same throughout most of the registration process, and Morales relied on the price in choosing to register for the sport. ¶ 61. A Fee of $8.70 was displayed only after the ordering process was substantially complete, and Morales did not notice the fee. ¶¶ 62, 63. If Morales had known about the Fee earlier in the enrollment process, she may have made a different choice in choosing to register using SportsEngine. ¶ 64. She also would have inquired with the league regarding registration by

alternate means. Id. B. Plaintiff Williams Plaintiff Vanessa Williams is a resident of Jonesboro, Arkansas. ¶ 16. She registered her child to play soccer through a youth sports organization on or about July 20, 2022. ¶ 65. The stated price for the registration was $200. Id. This $200 price stayed the same throughout most of the registration process, and Williams relied on the price in choosing to register for the sport. ¶ 66. A Fee of $7.80 was displayed only after the ordering process was substantially complete. ¶ 67. If Williams had known about the Fee earlier in the enrollment process, she may have made a different choice in choosing to register using SportsEngine. ¶ 68. She also would have inquired with the league regarding registration by alternate means. Id. C. Plaintiff Charalambou Plaintiff Carly Charalambou is a resident of Brookline, Massachusetts. ¶ 17. She

registered her child to play soccer through a youth sports organization on or about October 11, 2022. ¶ 69. The stated price for the registration was $300. ¶ 69. This $300 price stayed the same throughout most of the registration process, and Charalambou relied on the price in choosing to register for the sport. ¶ 70. A Fee of $10.00 was displayed only after the ordering process was substantially complete. ¶ 71. If Charalambou had known about the Fee earlier in the enrollment process, she may have made a different choice in choosing to register using SportsEngine. ¶ 72. She also would have inquired with the league regarding registration by alternate means. Id. II. Procedural History Plaintiffs filed this action on April 19, 2024. ECF No. 1. On July 3, 2024, Defendant moved to dismiss the action and strike Plaintiffs’ complaint. ECF No. 18. In response, Plaintiffs

filed a notice of intent to amend the Complaint on July 17, 2024. ECF No. 20. Accordingly, the Court denied Defendant’s motion to dismiss and strike as moot. ECF No. 22. Plaintiffs filed their First Amended Complaint on August 23, 2024. ECF No. 24 (“FAC”). Defendant filed the instant motion to dismiss on November 12, 2024. ECF Nos. 35, 36 (“Mem.”). Plaintiffs opposed the motion on December 17, 2024, and Defendant replied on January 21, 2025. ECF Nos. 38 (“Opp.”), 39 (“Reply”). LEGAL STANDARD In reviewing a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), the Court must “constru[e] the complaint liberally, accepting all factual allegations in the complaint as true, and drawing all reasonable inferences in the plaintiff’s favor.” Goldstein v. Pataki, 516 F.3d 50, 56 (2d Cir. 2008) (internal citation omitted). A claim will survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion only if the plaintiff alleges facts sufficient “to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007). A claim is facially plausible “when the plaintiff pleads

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Christine Morales, Vanessa Williams, and Carly Charalambou v. SportsEngine, Inc., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/christine-morales-vanessa-williams-and-carly-charalambou-v-sportsengine-nysd-2025.