ComplaintsforCalgary Stampede

• Initial Complaint

  10/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a 2023 Calgary Stampede SuperPass through a point of purchase listed on the Calgary Stampede website. The pass covers unlimited entry to the Stampede grounds for 10 days.To activate the pass you have to scratch off an area to get an activation pin. When we did this the activation code was completely scratched off rendering the pass unusable. There was no support number listed on the SuperPass to call. We finally found a local line to call ***********. They told us that this is a common issue with the 2023 passes. We were told to send an email with a photo of the SuperPass and they would then send us the pin. The estimated wait time was 20 minutes.We sent an email and waited for over 24 hours and never recieved the pin. We called the ticket office again and were told to be patient.After 2 days we called the ticket office and wanted our money back because we had had to pay for entry to the Stampede grounds anyways. We could only use the pass for 2 more nights before leaving town and we'd save more money by returning it at that point. The customer service agent told us they wouldn't refund us because we purchased the SuperPass through a 3rd party. I pointed out that we bought the pass at a location that was advertised on the Stampede website as a point of purchase. After waiting on hold for nearly an hour, we finally talked to a supervisor who very easily just gave us the SuperPass pin over the phone to activate the card. They refused to refund.This issue is ongoing. T**** *** ******** ** ****** ** ****** ***** ******** ******* ****** ** ***** ********* ***** *** ******* *** *** *** **** ******* ** **** ****** **** ** * ********** **** ***** *** ** *** ******* ********* They are selling these passes to 3rd parties, they don't work, people are forced to pay for additional entry to the grounds, and the Calgary Stampede denies responsibility for refunding the purchase price of the pass because consumers didn't buy the pass directly from them.

  Business response

  03/08/2023

  Thank you for your correspondence.  We strive to build a rapport with our customers and are concerned when a single experience may leave a lasting negative impression.  Your experience is unfortunate since it reflects poorly on our goal of delivering a great product with a team who are genuinely interested in extending western hospitality.  Please be assured that your comments have been documented and will be included in decisions for planning future Stampedes.

   

  In reviewing your account, your superpass was used over 4 days (**** ** **** ** **** ** * **** **), unfortunately there are no refunds.  **** **** ** ***** ** ***** **** ** ***** *** * ********* *** **** ** *** 

   

  Thank you,

  *** *

• Initial Complaint

  28/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased tickets for the July 9th afternoon and evening shows weeks before the event and had to sell them due to a death. I sold the tickets online through the site that the Stampede uses to handle ticket sales. I sold the tickets the evening of the 7th and early morning of the 8th. The ticket site clearly states that I will receive my money for the ticket sales in my bank account within 7 to 10 business days. It is going on ********************************************** response from the *** site nor the Stampede about my ticket sale money. For a supposedly world class organization, this is definitely far from world class.

  Business response

  30/08/2022

  Resolved as of Aug 5/22

  
  *** ticketing system provides resale funds 7 - 10 days after the event (not after the individual event or after the date the tickets sold).  The Calgary Stampede ended on Sunday July 17, 2022 which means the resale funds should have been deposited by July 27th.  Unfortunately, there was a technical error within the *** platform that was resolved on Aug 3 through a system update. Due to banking timelines, money was deposited on Aug 5, 2022. 

  Customer response

  01/09/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  An "event" that the tickets are sold for are for a specific day and time, they are not for the entire duration of the Stampede.  When a person buys "event" tickets, they are purchasing for a single event on a single day and as such, the Stampede's claim that the "event" ended on July 17th is erroneous.  When you actually purchase the tickets and are sent the tickets, it has the "Event Date & Time" on it and it is very specific to the type of event, day & time.  In addition, I was informed numerous times that the refund "was in process" and should hit my account very soon.  I am tired of organizations lying and misleading consumers about their shortcomings as the lying only makes them look even worse than admitting a problem.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business response

  02/09/2022

  Sept 2/22

  Reached out and spoke to **************** directly about his experience with re-sale funds being deposited. **************** was correct, funds should have been deposited 7 - 10 days after his event which was Saturday July 9th.  Communication of the technical issue should have also been caught sooner with clients being informed. The feedback provided to us will be used in our debrief with our ticketing partner and will be included in planning for our future events. 

  Thank you. 

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩