Rock n Roots Festival

[shivaeye]

Just to say that anyone thinking of trading at this festival think AGAIN! They cashed all of our cheques without actually have a licence! The organises over subscribed traders too and are now saying they want to keep our money to give us a pitch for next year. We keep chasing and still no refund. At the end of the day a trader sends payment in good faith and these organisers are totally unprofessional!

[Simpson family]

Same goes for punters. I'm still trying to get the ticket refund they promised would be sent out at the end of August. Finally got an e-mail asking me to transfer my booking to next year's Acoustic Festival of Britain but I don't trust that to happen either! Have sent a final demand but it seems they're not at the Ammanford address as it's not been able to be delivered. Anyone else manage to get their money back?

[karen m]

I've also been unable to get a refund. I paid £200 by cheque sent to the festival office - which they banked knowing there was a problem with the licence.

I was initially told they would refund me by cheque, when I chased this I was told they had run out of money and the bank would not continue to finance them. I have received nothing official about tickets for the acoustic festival

No one is answering the telephone and there is no information on their web site- (they promised to keep punters informed through the site).

The only way you can contact them is to send an email. I got this reply last week:

MESSAGES ON WEB SITE UNTIL 6TH September

We have written to all outstanding

don’t understand how yours has slipped through or bounced back !! will write on Monday next week

[rhodri1976]

I have also had problems getting my refund back. Initially they told me they woud be paying back people in the order that they paid, but september came and went so I phoned up the office number and spoke to a woman who said that they had successfully refunded 85% of people and they couldn't do anything else until the court case had gone through. When I asked how long this could take she told me 3 months. She said that their accounts had been frozen until further notice. I decided to get consumer direct involved and they advised me to send a recorded delivery letter to their address asking for a refund, and if nothing got paid in 2 weeks then I would be taking legal action and getting trading standards involved. My letter managed to find its way back to me a couple of days ago without anyone claiming it from the post office! I am now in the process of trying to get a charge back being paid into my account by my bank. If this fails then I will have to ring consumer direct back and get more advice. I dont believe that they have paid 85% of the customers already and only a court can freeze a companies account. I would advise other people to try the route I have taken in getting my money back, and if all of us got trading standards on the case then hopefully this wont happen to other people. Good luck!

[festifan]

in the same boat. Was ment to be trading. They have took our money and i have not heard from them.

Have been told to wait untill the court case is over.

[StoneCircle]

Any update from anyone on the court case or refunds? I notice a line-up has been announced for the Acoustic Festival which I am of the understanding is run by the same person - Mike Stephens.

[hellcats]

Any update from anyone on the court case or refunds? I notice a line-up has been announced for the Acoustic Festival which I am of the understanding is run by the same person - Mike Stephens.

[Medina]

Any update from anyone on the court case or refunds? I notice a line-up has been announced for the Acoustic Festival which I am of the understanding is run by the same person - Mike Stephens.

[hellcats]

Mike Stephens is indeed behind both festivals.

Anyone thinking of attending either might care to ask the Association of Festival Organisers what happened when Mr. Stephens tried to gatecrash their annual conference in November without paying for his ticket!

[StoneCircle]

I have been offered tickets to the Acoustic Festival 2009 in exchange for RocknRoots 2008 tickets, anyone else heard anything?

[grumpyhack]

I was aked to help with one of their festivals but it quickly became obvious that piss up and brewery were good descriptions and I pulled out.

You may have some success with these contact details that I had.

Mike Stephens, Acoustic Festivals, Unit 11, Betws Business Park, Ammanford, Carms. SA18 2ET. Tel: 01269 596056

Rob & Mike Stephens: mike@artists2events.co.uk

www.artists2events.co.uk

Tel: 01269 597118

Mike Mob: 07734 012370

[ML1]

I lost a load of money when the Rock n Roots festival was cancelled, I've just received an email saying I can attend the 2009 acoustic festival. Unfortunately I can't make the date and don't really want to go anyway, I have noone I could sell the tickets onto which is what they suggest I should do.

Surely if they are going ahead with a new festival which they will make a profit out of and receiving money in from ticket sales then the money is there to reimburse us, we are entitled to a refund, anyone know of what can be done? I've sent emails but they don't bother replying except to say no refunds will be issued, how do they get away with organising future events (with our money)!! when so many people have been ripped off?

[hellcats]

Expect nothing from these people who, amazingly, are still running this and the Acoustic Festival and are still ignoring my pleas for a refund.

I haven't received the tickets either from 2 years ago so I can't even try to sell them!!!!!

[karen m]

Also lost hundreds on the rock n roots.

I have had to email them continually to get any response. Appalled at Mike Stephens who can't even post anything on the web site to let punters know whats going on.

Received an email yesterday confirming I have 2 tickets booked for the Acoustic festival but not convinced the tickets will actually arrive.

Think it will be difficult to sell the tickets - not that much interest so far.

[calico1234]

Hi guys, I know this is an old thread and I'm not a trader but I'm hoping someone will know something about this! I originally bought 4 tickets to the Acoustic Festival of Nantwich 2007 for my parents and elderly grandparents as it was conveniently supposed to be held about 200 yards from my grandparents house, making it one of the only music festivals they can enjoy.

As we are all aware this was cancelled due to the rainfall and we were refused refunds but told we could attend the Rock n Roots Festival in 2008, which my grandparents could not go to due to the distance but which was cancelled regardless, after lots of messing around and last minute changes.

Since then I have attempted to get a refund, with no avail. I sent the organisers a few emails, tried to call and even sent a letter stating that if we hadn't received a refund within 2 months we would take the matter to the small claims court. I sent this recorded delivery and they did not sign it, but sent it back.

We then received tickets to the 2009 Rock n Roots in the post, but with 2008 dates on so we could not even sell them.

I know that in the grand scheme of things the cost of the original tickets was not immense, but the amount of money lost on train tickets and hotel rooms booked has made me so angry that I feel like something should be done about it. After spending near on £400 in total and not seeing a penny back over 2 years later, I really feel like I've been robbed.

Is there anyone who knows whether the 2009 festival actually took place? And did anyone else get refunds eventually? If anyone is in the same position as me, fancy trying to get something done about it? I'd love to hear from anyone in the same boat :-)

Hope I've not ranted on too much, just feel the whole thing is so unjust!

[Simpson family]

The Acoustic Festival (not Rock n Roots) did happen in 2009 and was actually pretty enjoyable, though partly 'cos low attendance meant no big crowds and a short walk to the tent; good weather and some excellent acts helped. Too much catering for the crowd size so lots of choice but some disgruntled traders who lost money. Organisation appeared somewhat haphazard (constant retiming of acts and a couple of no-shows) confirming my experience of the cancelled Rock n Roots. I'd probably go again if the line-up looked particularly good, but I'd have my fingers crossed!

Edited November 17, 2009 by Simpson family