The organisers of cancelled Victorian festival Maitreya are being sued by the ticketing company TryBooking because they have failed to produce ticket money needed to refund punters.
The festival was cancelled back in March after Buloke Shire Council refused to grant organisers permits to use the festival grounds over concerns about planning and emergency services. Punters at the time were complaining that they were struggling to get their money back.
According to Fairfax, the ticketing company has alleged in court documents suing organisers Lachlan Bell, Julius Webster and Sophie Oostermeyer, that it has refunded $520,524 to customers who used credit cards to purchase tickets but is now out of pocket by $409,082.
At the time of the event’s cancellation close to $1 million had been made through ticket purchases. TryBooking allowed the organisers to withdraw money made from tickets on the condition that it had to be repaid in two days. TryBooking alleges that more than $950,000 had been withdrawn between September 2015 and March 2016.
“The event organiser has not cooperated with us on a refund process as required by our terms and conditions, leading to us pursuing them via legal avenues,” TryBooking CEO Jeff McAlister said in a statement.
The last time Maitreya organisers spoke out was in May when they told Facebook followers, “We cant in any number of words express to you the ins and outs of the rabbit hole that the event ended in this year.”
“Unfortunately we are unable to make any more refunds for tickets purchased for the 2016 event.”
They said that they will be holding an event for ticket holders on the September Long Weekend and “hope this event can go to re building trust within the Maitreya community”.
