Some Bamboozle ticket holders running into problems with refunds

🔴 The first Bamboozle tickets were purchased directly from B.A.M. Ticketing

🔴 B.A.M. says per its Terms of Service refunds are the responsibility of the organizer

🔴 The state Division of Consumer Affairs has received 37 complaints about refunds

It is becoming a challenge for some Bamboozle ticketholders to get their money back, especially those who purchased them early.

Bamboozle was set to return May 5 - 7 to Bader Field in Atlantic City with its first festival-style concert since 2012. But after concert organizers including founder John D'Esposito failed to meet a deadline to submit applications for required permits the City of Atlantic City said it would not issue the permits. Concert organizers pulled the plug on Friday, a week before the show.

Ticketholders were instructed on Bamboozle's website and Facebook page to request refunds from the point-of-purchase without any other direction as the concert organizers have stripped all content from their website and social media platforms. Bamboozle's Twitter account has been deactivated.

Those who purchased tickets via Ticketmaster, Eventbrite and Tixr report they have received refunds without issues. However, those who bought one of three packages when they first went on sale in November ordered them directly from B.A.M Ticketing, a company based in Austria. Refunds have been difficult to obtain.

Three-day general admission tickets were priced at $355.70. VIP tickets were available for $819.39 and MVP tickets for $1,638.46.

B.A.M. issued the tickets in the form of non-fungible tokens, or NFT, tickets. It creates a digital ticket on a blockchain that cannot be recreated.

Who's responsible for refunds?

On their Twitter account the day the cancellation was announced B.A.M. said they would refund tickets purchased on the secondary market. All other B.A.M. tickets must be refunded by Bamboozle's organizer directly.

B.A.M. told NJ.com their terms of service also state that refunds are issued by the event organizer.

The company also told NJ.com that the funds from ticket sales were collected by a company called Stripe. There are no funds in Bamboozle's Stripe account and the Bamboozle account has been suspended.

D'Esposito reiterated to New Jersey 101.5 Wednesday that all tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase including those purchased from B.A.M.

"Any ticket holder who experiences a problem with B.A.M. ticketing should contact their credit card company or bank to dispute the charge," D'Esposito said in an email. "Bamboozle has not and will not challenge a chargeback."

The state Division of Consumer Affairs spokesman Rob Rowan told New Jersey 101.5 it has received 37 complaints regarding Bamboozle refunds. Because the complaints are still under review he could not disclose details.

B.A.M. has not responded to New Jersey 101.5's request for more information.

D'Esposito said the concert was canceled due to slow ticket sales and "issues with the state." He declined to elaborate about the problems.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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