CHANDLER, AZ — An Arizona woman paid $275 to see her favorite R&B artists at the Arizona Jazz Festival. The concert never happened, and months later, she still doesn't have her money back.
ABC15's Christell Bell discovered the promoters lost permission to put on the show after failing to meet basic safety requirements.
Cookie Toles bought her ticket last February for $275 to attend the festival on Sunday, March 23. She was excited to see Stokley, formerly of Mint Condition.
"I was very excited to buy my ticket," Toles said. "I was excited to see Stokley! Cause he was with Mint Condition."
But March came and went with no concert. When the March concert was postponed, the Let ABC15 Know team started hearing from ticketholders who were upset because organizers refused to give refunds.
The festival's policy was clear: "All ticket sales are final and non-refundable."
"I was kind of disheartened about it," Toles said.
Then, days before the November event, another announcement came: "Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, AZ Jazz Fest, has been cancelled. All refunds have been processed."
Toles thought this meant her money would be returned.
"That means the money will show back up," she said.
But weeks passed with no refund. Toles called the organizers repeatedly.
"She says you should be getting your refund… you should be seeing it in your account. So, I waited and waited. How long does it take?" Toles said.
The City of Chandler requires a special event permit for concerts like this. Ten days before the November show, the city sent a letter to the organizers revoking the permit.
The promoters failed to provide basic safety requirements including no crowd management plan, no police safety plan, no traffic control plan and no proof of insurance.
The city even granted extensions, saying "Unfortunately you did not comply."
The letter was addressed to Brad Laughlin and the M.U.S.I.C Foundation of Arizona. The city even offered to refund nearly $15,000 in permit fees, but only if the organizers signed a release agreeing not to blame the city for the cancellation.
I reached out to the festival's organizer with Toles' question about refund timing but received no response. However, I did hear from their attorney.
Chris Gooch, of Fennemore, said in a statement:
"We are counsel to the Arizona Jazz Festival Organizing Team.
The unfortunate and unexpected cancellation of the Arizona Jazz Festival is now the subject of litigation, upon which we are unable to comment at this time.
However, the Organizers are in the process of refunding and have refunded many customers’ ticket purchases and will continue to work through the process to do so. Contrary to the reports you are receiving, the Organizers have sent multiple communications to all of the ticketholders in their database to provide updates and information reports to the contrary would be “fake news.”
"You took the money. Your venue took the money, so that means the venue should be liable," Toles said.
Toles isn't the only one still waiting. We've heard from dozens of ticketholders who haven't gotten their money back.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes says her office can help investigate potential consumer fraud violations.
"I think it's absolutely something that we the Attorney General's Office, should look at in terms of have they violated the Arizona consumer fraud act," Mayes said.
Mayes said her office can contact the company and demand refunds.
"My office can contact the company and make a demand that they refund people their money the same way you did. This is not okay," she said.
But consumers must file a complaint first with the Attorney General's office.
If you paid with a credit card, call your card company and file a chargeback. Some banks say it's past the 90-day window, but keep pushing and don't give up.
The Let ABC15 Know Team will continue to follow this story and is waiting to hear back from the Attorney General.
