Brenna Oude-Reimerink just wants her money back. A month after the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival was abruptly postponed, she says she hasn’t heard a word from organizers about the $394 she spent on two VIP tickets.
The festival was scheduled to happen at Erindale Park, near the University of Toronto Mississauga, from Sept. 11 to 13. Several big names in comedy were billed for the weekend, including Stavros Halkias, John Mulaney and Jeff Arcuri, who Oude-Reimerink was most excited to see.
Oude-Reimerink sprung for two VIP tickets for Sept. 12, paying roughly $394 for the seats, and purchasing the pair through the third-party ticket supplier used by the festival. The VIP tickets promised exclusive entry lanes, and table service during the event.
“My sister and I were really looking forward to seeing him live. We’ve never seen him before,” Oude-Reimerink said in an interview with CTV News Toronto.
The comedy festival sent out an email on the morning of Sept. 7, reviewed by CTV News Toronto, detailing everything to know ahead of the festival from when doors opened to where to park and what could be brought into the grounds. A day later, festival organizers announced they would be postponing the festival without providing a clear reason why.
“We know there was a lot of excitement around the show, but our priority is to deliver the best possible festival, and we believe that postponing this week’s performance is the right decision to ensure we can do that,” the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival wrote in a statement posted online Sept. 8.
That’s how Oude-Reimerink learned about it: an Instagram post. She felt “disappointed” by the announcement and wanted answers.
“What does this mean? Am I going to be able to attend the new show, even if there is one? Will it even be the comedian I was looking forward to seeing?” she said.
She says it took at least a full day for organizers to send an email out to those who purchased tickets.
“We apologize to those who found out about the postponement on social media instead of directly from us – we understand we need to do a better job of communicating to our guests in the future and will strive to do so,” the email, sent on the afternoon of Sept. 9, reads. The organizers said they are currently exploring new dates and other solutions for ticket holders, and would provide “more updates as soon as possible.”
But Oude-Reimerink feels like she’s been left in the dark. About an hour before that email was sent, Oude-Reimerink sent an email of her own to the festival requesting a full refund for her purchase.
As of Oct. 9, she still hasn’t heard from festival organizers about whether a refund will be granted. CTV News Toronto repeatedly contacted the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival but did not hear a response.
She isn’t alone. Oude-Reimerink found a Reddit thread from another ticket holder who had also tried emailing the festival for a refund, where some of the 80 comments mentioned also seeking money back and never hearing a response. Then she saw vendors for a Halifax festival put on by the same group in early August have yet to be paid, with one vendor posting on Facebook on Oct. 9 that they are still waiting to be paid more than $28,000.
The lack of communication has been “one of the most frustrating things” for Oude-Reimerink, who says the organizers have basically gone “radio silent” for the last month.
“We hear about concerts, as an example, getting postponed or rescheduled, but at least the organizers are responsive and would acknowledge questions,” she said. “It just seems like there’s no way to get an answer or more information.”
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The festival’s refund policy
Online, the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival stated that they do not provide any refunds or exchanges.
“Line-up and show schedule are subject to change, including the postponement of headliners to future festival dates,” the website reads.
Richard Powers, associate professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, says the festival could issue a refund for goodwill purposes, but stressed a contract is a contract.
“You have to look at it from a legal and a contractual point of view, that’s what they agreed to,” Powers said. “Oftentimes they’ve spent the money that’s come in for tickets, promoting the event, things like that. So, they may not have the money to give the refunds. That’s how they cover themselves off.”
The question lies in whether the terms and conditions were readily available when the tickets were purchased in the first place.
“If they can show that it was in the small print, it was never brought to their attention, they may have a claim there,” Powers said, adding that if they had to check off a box agreeing to terms and conditions they wouldn’t have as strong of a case. “They could go after them in small claims court.”
As for what is considered reasonable for postponing an event, Powers said that is typically within 12 months of the original date.
Oude-Reimerink doesn’t want to take the chance to wait for the postponed festival, especially if it means she and her sister wouldn’t be able to see Arcuri perform.
“At this point, let’s at least get some acknowledgement of what’s going to happen,” Oude-Reimerink said. “In a perfect world, of course, a refund as well. Although, the longer I go without hearing back, the more that feels out of reach.”
