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It’s been two weeks since our last update regarding refunds and this is a short update to provide you with the latest available information.
Based on the information we were originally given, we told our customers we expected that refunds would processed “within 30 days, hopefully sooner”. While that timeline was based on information we were given by experts, the insurance claim process has taken much longer than anyone expected. 60 days would have been more accurate, and we expect to be able to process refunds before July 1st. We’re working to get it done before then.
We completely understand why customers are upset that the refunds are taking this long – especially after we were all told it would probably take less time – but please be rest assured we are doing everything we can to expedite the process. We’re looking forward to getting our customers refunds as soon as possible.
Levitation 2016 was cancelled due to severe weather. This decision was made by Travis County officials who were looking out for the safety of festival patrons and staff. Despite all efforts being made to prevent the cancellation, the unfortunate news was announced on Thursday, April 28th around 5pm.
While we were spared from some of the earlier predicted weather that affected our neighbors in Texas, a severe storm system struck the Levitation site in the overnight hours on Saturday April 30, producing winds over 60mph, hail, lightning, and over a inch of rain causing flooding of the grounds. As anticipated, the festival site was crippled by these storms, making recovery of the event impossible. We were able to evacuate the site and get staff to safety before the storm hit.
A series of make up shows were organized by local venues and the Austin music community, but there was no way to accommodate the 10,000+ people who had planned to come to the festival. While it wasn’t the weekend anyone expected, many attendees were able to see at least a small portion of the artists they came to see perform and we’re grateful to the artists who performed for fans and all of those who worked to organize these independent shows. You can check out a gallery from the weekend HERE.
As we work to pick up the pieces from the cancellation of Levitation 2016, our first priority is to get our customers refunds for all tickets, camping passes and other festival options and we are working to make that happen as fast as possible.
All customers will receive refunds – right now it’s just a matter of when. If you made your purchase at a record store, you can get a refund directly through the record store, without any wait. We are currently working through the claim process with our insurer, and moving towards getting clarity on a timeline for customers who purchased their tickets online to receive refunds.
We expected refunds to be processed within 30 days of the event, and hopefully sooner, but unfortunately the timeline isn’t up to us. It may take longer. We realize that the wait for refunds is frustrating, and we also understand that many customers are confused as to why it’s taking so long.
Many events have financial backing, from investors or parent companies, which can be tapped into to immediately refund money. Levitation is an independently owned event, and the cancellation has been an unprecedented blow for the tiny company and record label that organizes it, The Reverberation Appreciation Society. All funds that came in from ticket sales went to paying for event costs – paying deposits for performers, production vendors and all other event costs. Like every other year, every penny was spent on event costs as it came in and even though the festival was cancelled, all of those costs still have to be paid. We simply do not have the funds or any way to process refunds to customers until the insurance claim has been paid out, and these things move at their own pace, unfortunately. Despite the urgency and our working night and day to try to expedite the process, it’s taking longer than anyone would like.
We will make an announcement as soon as we have a definitive timeline and will let customers know when to expect a refund.
Refunds for purchases made through our ticketing provider, Front Gate Tickets, will be processed through the account used for the purchase.
If your credit card or debit card has expired, or has been otherwise replaced, the refund should still be processed electronically through the account used. No action will be required to update the info in order to receive your refund. If your refund is not able to be processed then you will be contacted and mailed a refund check. For security reasons, we will not accept any banking info via email.
If your account has closed, or changed, or if you need your refund sent via another method for any reason, please contact us ASAP at customerservice@levitation-austin.com. If we have any issues processing a refund, customers will be contacted directly.
Many people have offered understanding and support through this process and we greatly appreciate it. We know that the cancellation of the festival is a frustrating and unfortunate situation for our customers, and we understand that many of you are very upset. We want you to know we’re doing everything we can to get refunds processed as soon as possible.
We’ll let you know as soon as we have additional info on refunds through official announcements on social media, newsletters, and direct emails to customers.
all the best,
The Reverberation Appreciation Society
