Claim Denial: Refusing Refund for Japandroids and Bugskull Concert
As manager of Promotions and Advertising at Adventureland Park, you must respond to a recent letter. Avianna Jones complained that she was "taken" by Adventureland when the park had to substitute performers for the Japandroids and Bugskull Summertime Slam per- formance Sunday, July 4. Explain to her that the concert was planned by an independent promoter. Your only obligation was to provide the venue and advertising. Three days before the event, the promoter left town, taking with him all advance payments from financial backers. As it turned out, many of the artists he had promised to deliver were not even planning to attend.
Left with a messy situation, you decided on Thursday to go ahead with a modified version of the event because you had been adver- tising it and many would come expecting some kind of talent. At that time you changed your radio advertising to say that for reasons beyond your control, the Japandroids and Bugskull bands would not be appearing. You described the new talent and posted signs at the entrance and in the parking lot announcing the change. Contrary to Ms. Jones's claim, no newspaper advertising featuring Japandroids or Bugskull appeared on the day of the concert (at least you did not pay for any to appear that day). Somehow she must have missed your corrective radio advertising and signs at the entrance. You feel you made a genuine effort to communicate the changed program.
In your opinion, most people who attended the concert thought that Adventureland had done everything possible to salvage a rather unfortunate situation.
Ms. Jones wants a cash refund of $160 (two tickets at $80 each). Adventureland has a no-money-back policy on concerts after the event takes place. If Ms. Jones had come to the box office before the event started, you could have returned her money. But she stayed to see the concert. She claims that she didn't know anything about the talent change until after the event was well underway. This sounds unlikely, but you don't quarrel with customers. Nevertheless, you can't give her cash back. You already took a loss on this event. But you can give two complimentary passes to Adventureland Park.
Your Task. Write a refusal letter to Ms. Avianna Jones, 2045 Live Oak Drive, Sacramento, CA 95841. Invite her and a friend to return as guests under happier circumstances.