HUTTO, Texas — People are reportedly still out hundreds of dollars because they can't get their money back from a music festival that was canceled in Hutto in 2023.
The most recent accusation is by Jose Valdez. Valdez said he bought two VIP tickets to KOKEFEST that totaled $500 and never got his money back when the event was canceled.
KOKEFEST should have taken place on Aug. 4 and Aug. 5, 2023, but for unknown reasons, it was canceled.
Now, Valdez said he just wants his money back.
"Buying tickets should not be like gambling," Valdez said.
Valdez said he did everything to try and prevent what is happening from happening. He even said he bought insurance on the tickets to make sure that he would get his money back if anything was canceled.
Even with the insurance, Valdez says he can't get any concert organizers to respond to him.
Right now it's a blame game between concert organizers behind the scenes. 6 News is working to investigate who owes money to whom and will have updates as the investigation continues.
Another viewer reached out to 6 News in November 2023, which is what sparked the investigation. Mike Mead claimed he was out $140 because he never got his ticket money back from the same event.
As of Jan. 4, 2024, Mead says he still does not have his money.
6 News worked to contact all parties involved. Even back then, answers could not be found and no one would respond.
At the time of writing, the investigation is at a standstill. It's unknown if the money owed will ever make it back to its rightful owners.
While 6 News investigates, serving as a third party to help everyone involved, we want to provide insight into how you can be cautious about scenarios like this and how you can act on them if it does happen to you.
Advice from the Better Business Bureau:
Katie Galan with the Better Business Bureau said whenever you enter a contract or electric payment, you want to use a credit card.
"That way you have that extra level of protection because with a debit card, you don't," Galan said.
If you have to dispute anything or call out fraud, you can easily do so through your credit card company.
Another way to prevent this from happening is to vet third-party ticket sellers. Knowing who you are purchasing through gives you the power of understanding what you're getting into.
Purchasing insurance is also a great option for any purchase you make online.
If anything, you can also contact the Better Business Bureau. Galan said if they get enough complaints about one company, they will open an investigation to see what is going on.
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