Torquay ticket holders for The Drop music festival are yet to get their money back, more than three years after the show was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid.
The Drop music festival was scheduled to be held on April 11, 2020 at the Torquay Commons but was canned due to Covid restrictions.
The event was also due to be held across three other locations in Australia. It’s understood none have gone ahead.
In June 2020, ticket holders were told by US-based event management company, Eventbrite, a new show had been locked in for 2021 in Torquay and offered previous tickets to be rolled over to the rescheduled show.
It said refund options would be made available once the line-up was announced.
Festival goers enjoying the Drop Music Festival in Torquay in 2018. Picture: Mark Wilson
Todd Seidel-Davies from Torquay bought two tickets worth a combined $230 and said he had emailed Eventbrite “numerous times” between April 2020 and August last year but had not received any reply.
“It’s disappointing,” he said.
“Three years is a long time to be waiting for a refund.”
Mount Duneed mum Vanessa Elliot bought three tickets for herself and her two children and said she was still $300 out of pocket.
“It’s frustrating … times are tough now,” she said.
“Being a single mum every little bit counts.”
Mount Duneed mum Vanessa Elliott has been waiting more than three years to receive a refund after The Drop music festival was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid restrictions. Picture: Brad Fleet
The Drop took its “cancellation insurance matter” to a tribunal.
On June 25, 2021, ticketholders received an email from Eventbrite which said the tribunal had ruled in The Drop’s favour.
“We are currently working through the finer details of our claim with the insurers and we expect to settle with them in the coming weeks,” the email stated.
“We will be able to advise upon how you can roll over your tickets to those shows in 2022 or obtain a refund.”
Ms Elliot was informed the tribunal matter had been successful.
“(But) who knows where the money has gone,” she said.
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Eventbrite told the Geelong Advertiser it “does not hold any ticketing proceeds from this event” and that The Drop had “publicly and repeatedly accepted (the) responsibility” to issue refunds.
The Drop did not respond to questions from the Addy.
The festival announced rescheduled shows for 2021, 2022 and 2023 but none are believed to have taken place.
The Drop’s website no longer works and it’s accounts on Instagram or Facebook have been inactive since August last year.
The festival’s managing director, Ken O’Brien, told the ABC in January organisers were trying to raise funds from new investors to be able to provide refunds to ticket holders.
“We’ve been trying to raise money for two years now … [to] attempt to remedy the refund situation,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Nothing’s changed. We are not looking to walk away from any of our responsibilities.”
But both Mr Seidel-Davies and Ms Elliot said they are feeling like they have been “left in the dark”.
“I’m angry now,” said Ms Elliot said.
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