Bamboozle Festival, which was slated to be held this weekend (May 5-7), has been cancelled just days out after the Atlantic City authorities declined to issue a final permit for the event.
Now, fans are struggling to retrieve their ticket refunds for the festival, which was set to be its first edition for more than a decade.
In a statement, organisers said: “After extensive discussions, we have made the heartbreaking decision to cancel Bamboozle 2023. An incredible amount of time, dedication, passion and hard work was invested into making this comeback a success. We appreciate everyone who supported this festival. Refunds should be requested at point of purchase.”
However, fans have taken to Twitter to argue that it has been difficult to request refunds at the point of purchase, or that they were being told to contact their bank should a refund never arrive.
One user posted a screenshot on an email about Bamboozle Festival refunds, which read: “The refund process began Monday, May 1, 2023 and could take up to 90 days till funds are returned. Ticket purchasers, like you, can and must seek a refund from the point of purchase. In the event this does not result in a refund from any of our ticketing platforms, you can get a full recovery by contacting your bank or credit card company.”
The user commented: “The scam of Bamboozle continues. BAM Ticketing won’t refund fans as the point of purchase and Bamboozle is shirking responsibility, telling fans to contact their banks.”
As reported by Billboard, Atlantic City city business administrator Anthony Swan said that the event could not go ahead after it failed to deliver the necessary paperwork for it to proceed.
“We asked for this information months in advance to protect the city and the taxpayers of Atlantic City. The event was fast approaching, and these issues were still unresolved,” he said.
Fans had already been angry surrounding ticketing after founder John D’Esposito had promised an amazing line-up, which did not happen. D’Esposito also said that the $400 (£316/€383) three-day tickets would increase as more artists were announced, but instead decreased by almost $100 after the festival offered a discount code.
According to NJ.com, a number of Bamboozle ticket-holders have also filed complaints with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs for false advertising and refund requests.