SAN DIEGO — Some are calling this the new ‘Fyre Festival’ as fallout continues from the cancellation of a two-day festival in San Diego last month while event planners are nowhere to be found. CBS 8 is working for you to find out how ticketholders can get refunds.
The Blended Festival was supposed to bring live music, food, and wine to San Diego at Spanish Landing Park in the form of a two-day festival on October 8th and 9th.
But the event was suddenly canceled or indefinitely postponed, as it says on their website. The same festival scheduled in Austin, Texas, a few weeks prior was also canceled.
Sean Evans, CEO of My Wine Society, which is the parent company to Blended Festival, Inc, apparently has ghosted staff, vendors, and ticketholders since October 1st while disabling staff email accounts and leaving their team with no answers to be found, and ticketholders wondering how to get their money back.
CBS 8’s Brian White called the phone number listed on the ‘blended festival’ Facebook page, but he received a message that the number was no longer in service.
CBS 8 found contact information online for Sean Evans, sent an email directly to him, and received the following automated response: “We have made the difficult decision that MWS [My Wine Society] will cease business activity while we actively pursue an acquirer for the brand IP.”
“The fact that they just disappeared, you know, it suggests to me that they kind of know what they’re doing by raking in a bunch of money and then, if anything, giving a little bit back,” said civil trial attorney Dan Gilleon. “It may not have been outright, ‘Hey, we’re going to steal every cent from everybody who bought a ticket.’ It may have been, ‘Hey, there’s a good chance this thing is not going to pull through, and we may have to pull out, and if we do, let’s bail, and if anything, we’ll just settle individually for pennies on the dollar and make a killing.”
‘Blended Fest’ came to San Diego a year ago when, according to organizers, 9,000 tickets were sold for the 2-day festival.
Some ticketholders CBS 8 spoke with had success disputing the charge with their bank or credit card company. Another woman, who spent $418 on two VIP tickets, got a refund from Events.com, where she bought the tickets. CBS 8 contacted the Better Business Bureau about the situation, and they offered these tips:
“Consumers should familiarize themselves with the event and ticketing platform policies before purchasing a ticket and consider opting for ticket insurance if offered.
In addition, consumers should contact their bank for questions about their eligibility for payment chargebacks or reversals.”
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