Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/13/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased tickets for the Water Lantern event in Tacoma on 08/31/2024. I purchased the General Admission Tickets. My tickets, as well as on the purchase page for the General Admissions ticket clearly stated "General admission tickets are fully refundable and include a wristband..." However, the Water Lantern Festival cancelled the event due to algae. I did not even receive an email about this update (as they claimed all participants should have), and only learned of the cancellation via social media. Now, the Watern Lantern Festival company is claiming tickets are NOT refundable, unless you purchase "Ticket Protection". When purchasing my tickets for the Tacoma event, there was no option to purchase any form of ticket protection, especially because the tickets themselves already stated they were refundable (again, no mention of ticket protection needed to receive a refund). When making my purchase, there was only 3 ticket options available: General Admission, VIP tickets, or the Date Night Special (see attachment). The event website for Tacoma has now disappeared. Several other customers on the business Facebook post have the same complaints of being initially told tickets were refundable, but now the business claims they are not. Upon looking at the tickets from the business for their Seattle event (see attachment), there are several more ticket options available - including regular General Admission tickets, and General Admission tickets with ticket protection - that were NOT made available for the Tacoma event. Attached documents include my ticket (with clear mention of refunds possible), my registration confirmation, a screenshot of the ticket types shown for Tacoma (which is also currently the same for the Yakima event), and a screenshot of the ticket types shown for the Seattle event. This business is not being consistent with their ticket option and sales, and attempting to scam people out of their money by not offering protection for every event.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/16/2024

  Hello, 

  I hope this message finds you well.

  
  I would like to address a recent concern regarding our ticket refund policy. Our website offers several ticket types, and it appears there may have been some confusion about the refundability of the ticket in question.

  
  The customer in question had a General Admission ticket, which, as clearly stated on the ticket and our website, is fully refundable. This information was explicitly mentioned on the ticket attached to her claim. It is important to note that we have never communicated that these tickets were non-refundable. We have specific sections on our website indicating that "Adult" tickets without Ticket Protection are not fully refundable, but the General Admission ticket the customer had falls under the refundable category.

  
  Furthermore, the customer did not provide us an opportunity to address her refund request before submitting a claim. She initially reached out to us on Friday, September 13, 2024, at 12:29 AM, and we promptly responded on the same day at 4:30 PM, offering a full refund. A refund was issued on September 14, 2024, at 6:32 PM.

  
  Please find attached the full correspondence for your reference. Given that the refund was processed and received, we are uncertain about the remaining concerns.

  
  Thank you for your attention to this matter.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/17/2024

   
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 22280223, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/12/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I paid for these tickets a month ago and it was posted only on Facebook that it’s been canceled and that we can use these tickets in a whole different location on a different date. Unfortunately, I cannot attend on that other date nor do I want to drive all the way to that other location. Myself and many others have been asking for refunds with no reply. They claim that it’s canceled four days before the event. They are still advertising and selling tickets online! Even after the cancellation. after reading up on this I found that other Events in other areas have also been canceled suddenly without notification other than a post on Facebook. I think it’s very unfair to cancel on everyone and expect that they can drive now to a whole different area on a different date and refuse to reply to anyone asking for a refund. I would like my money back.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/12/2024

  Hello! The event in Tacoma, WA was rescheduled due to an unexpected blue-green algae bloom, we have followed the Health Department's guidelines and rescheduled for the safety and enjoyment of our guests. We notified all attendees via email after the announcement was made. Additionally, our website and all social media platforms were updated to reflect this change.
  
  We let customers know that If they would still like to join us at a Water Lantern Festival this year, tickets are 100% transferable and will be accepted regardless of the original date/location listed! Listed below are events held in Washington or nearby this season that we offered to let them transfer tickets to. 
  
  Yakima, WA - September 28th 
  Tri-Cities, WA - October 12th 
  Seattle, WA - October 12th 
  
  We also offered full refunds for this event for all customers even though our policy states refunds are not available unless ticket insurance was purchased. Ticket Insurance protects customers from unforeseen circumstances, just as this was. 
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/12/2024

   
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 22278114, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Karen Moody

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/08/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My husband and I attended the Water Lantern Festival on September 7, 2024 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. We heard of the event through an advertisement on Instagram, and then followed the link to their website. The website promised: “Enjoy Food Trucks / Music / Fun” from 5 pm - 9 pm. We bought 2 tickets and 2 orders of glow sticks in advance for $78.89. The problem: The availability of food trucks was massively undersized for the size of the event, especially since it occurred during a major meal time. Each of the 3 food trucks that served meal-type food (not dessert or popcorn) had hundreds of people in line, and the lines barely moved. We gave up and skipped eating after 30 minutes in line, so we are not sure if we would have ever gotten food. Billing itself as a food truck event was deceptive. They should not advertise the availability of food trucks if there aren’t enough for the thousands of people attending.
  
  Additionally, the event did not advertise that the venue collected an additional $10 parking fee.
  
  So that Water Lantern Festival takes us more seriously, we are not requesting a refund. I don’t think most people would spend ~$40/ticket with a surprise $10 parking fee on an event without reasonable access to food.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/10/2024

  We truly appreciate your feedback and apologize for any inconvenience you faced during the event.
  
  We strive to ensure all our guests have a memorable and enjoyable experience. Regarding parking, information about the $10 parking fee was included in the event guide, which was posted on the event page on our website. We understand that unexpected fees can be frustrating, and we are continuously working to ensure all event details are communicated as clearly as possible.
  
  Regarding food trucks, we do our best to accommodate the expected attendance while navigating local regulations and food truck availability, which can vary based on permitting restrictions in the region. That said, we regret that the wait times impacted your experience and will use your feedback to improve our future events.
  
  We value your thoughts and take them seriously as we work to provide the best possible experience for our participants. Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for a better experience in the future.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/31/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased tickets for this event in good faith, anticipating a memorable experience. However, the event never occurred as scheduled.
  
  I did not receive any email or text message notifications about a cancellation or rescheduling of the event. This lack of communication is extremely frustrating and unprofessional. It has led me to believe that this event might be a scam, as there has been no transparency or adequate customer service regarding what happened.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/12/2024

  We have no emails from this person and no orders under the name or email address. We were able to find the tickets from the attached image, and the tickets were refunded to the customer on 9/4/2024. The email that was associated with the ticket confirmation number was **************************

  In response to the event, the Fort Lauderdale, Florida event was postponed to November 16th, 2024 due to weather conditions. The safety and enjoyment of our guests is always our priority. We sent an email to our customers whose email was on their account that the event was postponed, additionally, all social media pages and websites were updated following the announcement. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/02/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased tickets for the Water Lantern Festival on August 3rd in **************, **. The day before the event, they sent an email from a no-reply email saying that they decided to reschedule the event for a different day in September, which we won't be able to attend. We had already arranged travel plans, which are no longer refundable because the business decided to cancel the event on such short notice. This whole business seems fraudulent and unless you take the time to read the fine print, you wouldn't have known that if you don't purchase ticket protection, you are ineligible for a refund regardless of ANY circumstances, including those completely out of your control. Furthermore, even if you purchased ticket protection, their website states that it is only eligible up to 4 days before the event. Water Lantern Festival canceled the event THE *** BEFORE the event, thus voiding the rights of people to receive a refund. Complete violation of consumer rights.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/06/2024

  Per the event policy page on our website: "Refund Protection protects your purchase from unforeseen circumstances such as family emergencies, illness, weather postponement, or any other reason. Ticket price and additional items purchased will be refunded, minus the processing and refund protection fee. Refund protection valid up to 4 days prior to the event. Only valid when purchased with a ticket... In the case of a weather postponement, or cancellation for any other reason, we will work to secure a new venue/date within 120 days of the original event date. If we are unable to re-schedule the event within that timeframe a refund will be provided." We have confirmed a new event date for this event.
  
  The tickets on this order were not purchased with Ticket Protection, so we are unable to process a refund at this time (the event was rescheduled due to inclement weather concerns). In our email chain with ******, we outlined that the tickets are still valid at any of our festivals within one year, and provided a list of five upcoming events this Fall in the surrounding area that she could use her tickets at. Tickets are also 100% transferable, meaning they can be sold or given to other individuals.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/09/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This EVENT IS AN ENVIROMENTAL DISATER... I worked the lantern festival in **********. Wooden lanterns with batteries for the light are brought in from *****. They have a little meditation ceremony, and then the lanterns are released into the lakes. These lanterns are then buoyed as best they can and thrown into the dumpsters with the lights still on. I helped fill 4 large commercial dumpsters for this event. I was told they donate these wooden lanterns to the schools for art projects. Not one lantern with its batteries from ***** went to the schools. It went directly into the lakes or the landfills. This company claims to be ECO friendly! NO WAY!! Better business, please look into this environmental disaster of a company.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/25/2024

  Hi ***,
  

  Thank you for reaching out and expressing your concerns about the event. We appreciate your feedback as it helps us improve.
  We strive to recycle the lanterns whenever possible and work with local companies to facilitate this. To ensure a thorough and efficient cleanup, we rope off the lanterns after the event. While we aim to recycle, we do not donate the lanterns to schools because they are often wet.
  

  We are committed to minimizing our environmental impact and continually seek ways to improve our practices. For more information or further assistance, please contact us at **********************************.

   

  Thank you,

  Water Lantern Festival
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/25/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Date of purchase: 3/6/24 Date of refund request 1: 4/24/24 Date of refund request 2: 4/25/24 We purchased tickets for the *** Water Lantern Festival on 4/27/24. I ordered the insurance at the time of purchase since it was so far in advance and this is tornado season in **. The weather channels are all calling for terrible weather on Saturday so I went to the website and requested a refund in accordance with the information on the **** I placed a request through the contact us page as well as two separate emails to the support email address and have not received an email receipt or confirmation that I will receive my refund. Looking at the BBB site, I can see that this isnt a particularly reputable event or business. At this point, I just want my money back from this scam.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/26/2024

  I looked up your information in our system and your order has been canceled and was issued a full refund. Please allow 2-3 days for the refund to be processed. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/26/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  

  I also received a confirmation email for the full refund shortly before getting this response.

  I appreciate the diligence in getting this matter resolved.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/17/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I recently bought 2 tickets for the water lantern festival taking place at Whittier Narrows in **********. Unfortunately a family issue came up and I am not able to attend. I have already emailed the business and they say something about ticket protection but I when I bought the tickets it stated that ticket protection was only for exclusive tickets which was no an option for me. On top of that it is forecasted to rain on the date of the event. I would still like the money back because it is important and can be used for family emergencies.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2023

  As is typical with live events, refunds are not available unless your ticket comes with ticket protection. Ticket Protection protects your purchase from unforeseen circumstances. Ticket price and additional items purchased will be refunded, minus the processing and Ticket Protection fee. Ticket Protection valid up to 4 days prior to the event. If you purchased Ticket Protection and need a refund, please e-mail **********************************.
  
  In the case of a weather postponement, or cancellation, please see our inclement weather policy.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/25/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 4/28/23 I purchased a ticket for the New Jersey water lantern festival that was to take place on 9/30/23. It was canceled due to weather in rescheduled for 10/7/23. The new date I am unable to attend in an attempt to get a refund for my ticket. I was denied numerous times. I was told that ticket insurance had to be purchased. However, there ticket insurance policy reads that the customer can cancel their purchase within four days of the event to receive a refund. Nothing is said about if the organizer them self canceled the event. I do believe this is a fraudulent practice of services when it comes to ticket sales. When a customer purchase a ticket to an event, they are not purchasing it to be on standby for if the date changes. They are purchasing for a specific date inches stand by the contract of a ticket purchase itself. I am fighting to get refund of my ticket fees.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/26/2023

  Thank you for reaching out to us.  Please refer to our policy listed below.

  TICKET PROTECTION
  Refund Protection protects your purchase from unforeseen circumstances such as family emergencies, illness, weather postponement, or any other reason. Ticket price and additional items purchased will be refunded, minus the processing and refund protection fee. Refund protection valid up to 4 days prior to the event. Only valid when purchased with a ticket.

  INCLEMENT WEATHER
  We'll do our best to proceed with the event as scheduled, but if severe weather prohibits us from launching the lanterns on the water then we'll work with local officials to determine what the options are for re-scheduling the event. In the case of a weather postponement, or cancellation for any other reason, we will work to secure a new venue/date within 120 days of the original event date. If we are unable to re-schedule the event within that timeframe a refund will be provided.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/26/2023

   
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because insurance option wasn’t even offered on early bird ticket purchase  I purchased for the amount advertised 

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 09/26/2023

  Ticket protection is a standard option that has been offered with all of our tickets, including early bird pricing, since 2019. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/26/2023

   
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because - 

  See example above. If you go to their website and purchase a standard adult ticket for advance purchase there is NO option to purchase insurance. It’s only offered to a DELUXE tickets with extras which I declined to purchase the deluxe ticket package, since I didn’t want or need any of the extra stuff  

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/19/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Date of transaction: 09/02/2023
  Amount paid: $106.14
  Nature of Dispute: Tickets were purchased for the Water Lantern Festival to be held on 09/30/2023 at Seccombre Lake Recreation Area in San Bernardino, CA. The business then changed the venue to Lake Gregory Regional Park in Crestline, CA. This change is unacceptable as this is not the venue I purchased tickets to. I contacted the business for a refund and was flat out refused. The business did a "Bait and Switch" tactic and stated that I should have purchased ticket protection. Their response in unacceptable as I am not the one changing my mind to attend. The business changed the venue and are putting the blame on me for not purchasing ticket protection. Ticket protection is to cover the buyer for changing plans. It is NOT to cover the business for their change of mind of venue location. I expect a full refund from this complaint.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/19/2023

  Our support team has already refunded this transaction.