Days after patrons were left disappointed by the absence of the headline acts at the One Caribbean Music (OCM) Festival, two online ticketing retailers have promised that customers who used their platforms to buy tickets for the event will be reimbursed.
In a media release yesterday, Island E-Tickets confirmed that they will be issuing a refund to people who bought tickets for the concert on their platform.
The statement also noted that refunds should be processed within five to seven business days, as they acknowledged that the absence of three artistes, including headline act Adidja “Vybz Kartel” Palmer, Miguel “Sizla Kalonji” Collins and Ghanaian-American singer Moliy from the advertised line-up of performers had prompted their decision.
“At Island E-Tickets, our top priority is protecting the interests of our customers and maintaining the integrity of events listed on our platform,” the release said.
“We have conducted a thorough review of the One Caribbean Music Festival and can now confirm that three of the headline performers who were advertised to appear did not perform.”
Ticket prices ranged from $670 for general admission to $2,700 for VVIP.
Kartel was the first of the foreign acts to pull out of the event hours before the show at the Queen’s Park Savannah, citing a payment dispute.
The event’s organisers subsequently indicated that Kartel had received US$950,000 of a contractually obligated US$1.3 million before his decision to pull out of the concert due to their failure to meet the final payment disbursement.
Kartel’s Jamaican countrymen, Sizzla Kalonji, Malie Donn and Rvssian, as well as Ghanaian-American singer Moliy, also pulled out of the event for contractual issues.
Eventually, the only international artiste to take the stage on the evening was Jamaican Akeeme “Chronic Law” Campbell.
In its release yesterday, Island E-Tickets noted their disappointment that the concert experience did not meet the expectations of patrons, noting that the differences between the event and what was advertised were “significant.”
Another online ticketing platform, FrontlineTicketing, followed Island E-Tickets’ lead, also issuing a statement indicating they will be issuing refunds for ticketholders.
In its release, the website noted that persons who bought a ticket on their platform but did not attend the event would qualify for a refund, but noted that all requests would be “reviewed and processed accordingly.”
Guardian Media sought to obtain an estimated figure on how many refunds may be issued for the event, but did not receive any information up to press time.
On Sunday, it was reported that an official associated with the promoters, Jacho Entertainment Ltd, had acknowledged that “some form of compensation may be necessary,” but noted it would be discussed and finalised sometime this week.
Guardian Media sent questions via email to Jacho Entertainment Ltd for an update on whether any compensation was paid to service-providers or patrons, but did not receive any response up to press time yesterday.
In a video posted to his Instagram account on Saturday evening, Kartel apologised to Trinidadian fans while also referring to past meetings with the promoters to discuss his appearance at the event.
Kartel said despite missed deadlines and concerns over the payment of fees, he urged his manager, Tee Jay, to show some flexibility and give the promoter “a bligh” in a bid to work with him.
“Tee Jay reluctantly give you a bligh. You missed deadline after deadline, me beg for you. I say Tee Jay give him a bligh.
“Remember you (the promoter) wanted to keep the show during Carnival. I tell you, you cannot do that. Don’t mess with the culture.”
He added that he felt some degree of responsibility for the outcome, as he believed not every promoter could handle a Vybz Kartel event, but still maintained his respect for T&T’s Government and its people.
