During the pandemic, many people wanted to head back out and travel. When travel restrictions were lifted, people rushed to book vacations. But COVID-19 kept disrupting travel plans and, even when refunds had been promised, left people waiting for their money back.
"It was an incredible lineup of artists, we were really excited to go," said Brian James and Christina Marquis, who booked a trip to the Departure music festival in Playa Del Carmen.
They love music and have been to a number of festivals, so they spent $3,000 to go on the all-inclusive trip through Pollen. But the day before they left, Marquis said she wasn't feeling well. Both she and James tested positive for COVID.
"I was devastated," said Marquis. "Devastated because some of the artists that we were going to see were people that I've been dying to see again."
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The couple says they knew it was a risk to book the trip during the pandemic, but were comforted knowing Pollen advertised a "100% refund" if "you test positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of the experience start date."
"They replied to us immediately," said Marquis. "They said, 'We're so sorry you're not feeling well, we hope you feel better. You're all good and you'll have the money within 60 days.'"
That was on January 6th, but soon after Marquis was told it would take 90 days to get their money back because the entire festival had been canceled and Pollen had to refund every customer. But they say 90 days came and went with no refund.
"The fact they said that we would get the money soon and then never followed up was ridiculous," said Marquis.
NBC 7 Responds
They tried to contact everyone, even disputing the charge with their credit card company, but say they were told it was too late because it was past the usual 90 days for a chargeback.
"We were at wit's end," said James. "We didn't know what else to do. We contacted everybody. We reached out on Instagram, we reached out on LinkedIn to the VP, the Director of Communication."
That's when the two contacted NBC 7 Responds. We've reached out to Pollen several times but have had no response. The company's social media accounts were still active, with tickets for upcoming events listed for sale on their website.
Going through business filings, NBC 7 Responds found out Pollen is owned by a company registered in the United Kingdom, Streetteam Software, LTD. NBC 7 Responds also tried reaching them but have not heard back.
It isn't all bad news though. NBC 7 Responds reached out to the credit card company. Within a few days, Marquis said she got a call that they were taking another look at their claim. Still, the two say this whole experience has made them more cautious.
"We'll probably never book with this company again, no matter what," said James. "They've lost some customers."
And, perhaps more importantly, the two haven't had their love of music shaken.
"It's like three or four days of nonstop music," said Marquis, when asked what drew her to festivals. "You don't look at your phone, you don't think about work, about your responsibilities. You're just present and enjoying time with everyone there and the music. It's just incredible."
If you find yourself in a similar situation where a company has stopped responding, or appears to not be issuing a promised refund, you can file a complaint with the state attorney general's office. Their customer protection division may be able to step in and help.
