Days after organizers canceled the Ultimate Wine Run, participants said they are still waiting for a refund.
The Ultimate Wine Run was supposed to be held on October 8, but two days before the event, organizers sent out an email to announce the race had been called off due to “alcoholic permitting and supplier issues.”
Runners paid anywhere between $20-$80 to register for the event, and now many of them are waiting for a response regarding a refund.
“This [event] had been shared by many of my friends because it seemed like a fun event," explained Brandy Saunders, who said she sent an e-mail to organizers asking for a refund. “I don't expect to get a refund. I checked my bank account this morning just to see if maybe they've had a chance to do that and I don't see it yet."
Information uncovered by 41 Action News showed that Ultimate Wine Run organizers have faced many issues in the past.
According to the Better Business Bureau, the Wine Run group has an F rating due to nine complaints filed by participants in the past year.
“The company has not responded to complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau, which is one of the worst things you can do, especially when those complaints themselves contain complaints about not being able to get a hold of the company,” said BBB manager Aaron Reese.
Reese added that five complaints about the Ultimate Wine Run had been reported to the BBB’s scam department.
Issues were also found with the charity the Ultimate Wine Run claimed to support.
According to the event’s website, proceeds from the races would be donated to the Achieving My Dreams Foundation.
Reese explained that while researching the charity, several problems were discovered.
The phone number listed for the foundation connected callers to White Tax Services in Oxnard, California.
Furthermore, both the foundation’s website and Facebook page haven’t been updated in over eight months.
“Any public information is unavailable,” Reese explained. “We're not really sure what this charity is or what they represent.”
As of Tuesday evening, an e-mail and call to the Ultimate Wine Run organizers have not been returned.
Moving forward, Saunders said she will be careful signing up for future running events as a result of her experience with the Ultimate Wine Run.
“I will probably research it more and heed other people's warnings," she said.
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Tom Dempsey can be reached at Tom.Dempsey@KSHB.com.
