Al Pacino event was axed and we never got refund - now we see organiser was jailed for fraud: CRANE ON THE CASE
- T.G booked tickets to see Al Pacino for friend's 60th - but it didn't go ahead
- Organiser An Experience With didn't provide a new date - or refund her £485
- The founder of the company has recently served a prison sentence
One of my good friends is a big fan of the actor Al Pacino.
It was her 60th birthday last year, so in December 2022 I booked tickets for the two of us, and another friend, to see him in person at a live 'in conversation' event in London.
It cost £485 and was supposed to take place in April 2023, but shortly before we were told it was cancelled because Pacino had a 'diary change'.
We waited to see if it would be rescheduled, but it wasn't. I contacted the company that put the event on, An Experience With, to ask for a refund.
![Empty seats: The Pacino event didn't go ahead, and the company who organised it keeps telling T.G she needs to wait longer to get her money back](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/10/13/87158599-13619301-image-a-3_1720616099992.jpg)
Empty seats: The Pacino event didn't go ahead, and the company who organised it keeps telling T.G she needs to wait longer to get her money back
Nearly 15 months since the event was cancelled, I still don't have my money. The company has given various excuses.
At one point I was told I needed to wait for 90 days before asking for a refund. Another time, it said I should raise a dispute with my bank as that would be the 'quickest resolution'. It also said it couldn't pay me back because of issues with 'funds held in the US'.
I've now seen some concerning things about the company online and am worried I'll never get my £485.
I have also tried Paypal, which I used to pay for the tickets, and Eventbrite, the website which sold them, but with no luck. Can you help? T.G, Bedfordshire
Helen Crane, This is Money's consumer champion, replies: It would have been the Godfather of all birthday gifts - the chance for your friend to see her favourite actor in the flesh, talking about his life and career.
You paid just over £485 for the tickets, choosing to pay via Paypal because it would let you split the cost over three monthly payments.
Sadly, though, you were contacted before the event to say it would no longer be going ahead, as Al Pacino had a diary clash. No doubt you thought the whole thing was out of order.
But you still wanted to give your friend a birthday surprise - even if it was belated - so you held on to see if it would be rescheduled.
By June, you still hadn't heard anything so you emailed the organiser to ask for a refund.
So who are An Experience With? I have looked in to this company, and what I found was a story almost worthy of a Pacino film itself.
On its Instagram page, it says it hosts 'World class events with the most significant celebrities in the world! Making dreams a reality.'
Its social media accounts are studded with images of megastars including Pacino, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
It hosts black-tie events where fans such as yourself can have an audience with their heroes, along with a slap-up meal and the chance to bid for memorabilia in an auction.
Most of these events have gone ahead and there are videos of the glitzy evenings on Facebook and Instagram to prove it - but it appears there was something of a hiatus last year.
Instead of recent events, some of the recent posts hark back to events that happened as far back as 2019.
And while the company is always teasing 'exciting news coming soon' and 'potential new dates', there never appears to be any tickets to book. Something doesn't feel quite right to me.
While many of the comments are from people talking about how much fun they had seeing their heroes in years gone by, there are others from upset customers complaining that, like you, the events they bought tickets for in 2023 had been cancelled - and that when they asked for a refund they had been met with silence or given credits they could not use.
So what happened in 2023? After a bit of digging, I discovered that in August last year, the founder of the company, Stephen Oleksewycz - a former DJ and football player for Huddersfield town - was imprisoned on charges of fraud.
![Stephen Oleksewycz, pictured at a past event with Mel Gibson prior to Oleksewycz's jail term](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/10/13/73991855-13619301-Oleksewycz_right_ran_a_fraudulent_company_called_An_Experience_W-a-1_1720614414457.jpg)
Stephen Oleksewycz, pictured at a past event with Mel Gibson prior to Oleksewycz's jail term
He was found guilty of failing to pay suppliers involved with promoting a night with MMA star Conor McGregor in 2017.
Event organisers revealed how they had not received any payment just 24 hours before 5,000 fans descended on the live show in Manchester.
The court also found he had concealed his bankruptcy from suppliers, including by providing fake paperwork. He was ordered to pay back £69,000 to the victims.
All the time, he was posting images of himself online alongside stars such as Mike Tyson, Mel Gibson and Robert De Niro.
Oleksewycz was released in March this year, and has started a a podcast called 'Inspire me,' telling his side of the story in the first episode.
An Experience With says on its social media that it is relaunching as 'An Experience With 2.0' and currently organising several events for the future, though it has not revealed what these are.
So what does all this mean for your tickets? I contacted An Experience With, and it said it had recently offered you a credit note, which it was entitled to do as per the terms and conditions of the ticket.
However, I'd argue that the 15-month delay, as well as the fact there are currently no events to book with the credit, means cash should be offered.
It told me in an email: 'There has been some unforeseen circumstances that has resulted in a gap of live events, however we have some significant upcoming events that the credit could have been used for.'
The unnamed person who responded also said it had kept you informed about the status of the event, which I'd again disagree with.
You always had to chase An Experience With for information, and when you did you were mostly told to just wait a bit longer. This ran you out of the Paypal 180-day limit for disputing a transaction.
An Experience With also said it recently sent you a form where you could get a refund directly from Eventbrite. You say you didn't receive this, however.
The email I received from the firm continued: 'We have produced over 45 successful events since 2012 and made thousands of dreams a reality.
'We had unfortunate issues with the Al Pacino dates which are now coming to a conclusion.
'We are now fully active on our social media and gearing up to announce new dates with huge names.
'Once these dates are announced we will be happy to provide [T.G] with credit and also some complementary additions to her evening to make up for the delay on her refund.'
You weren't sure you could trust this, as you had heard these kind of promises from the firm before - and I think your instinct is absolutely correct.
In the meantime I also approached Paypal, which you used as the payment method for the tickets.
![Disputed: But Paypal didn't offer a refund to T.G as the 180-day time limit had passed](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/10/13/87157817-13619301-image-a-2_1720614663558.jpg)
Disputed: But Paypal didn't offer a refund to T.G as the 180-day time limit had passed
You'd previously been denied a refund, as the payment processor will only accept disputes made within 180 days of the original payment being made.
You only found out the event was cancelled months after you booked it, and then you were told by An Experience With to hang on for 90 days as it would be rescheduled - so you missed this deadline.
If you had paid by credit card for the tickets, you could have pursued a Section 75 claim - but the money was funneled through Paypal, those protections no longer apply.
You may have been able to initiate a chargeback with your bank, but this is also subject to a time limit of 120 days.
I contacted Paypal to explain the situation, and I am really pleased to say it has offered to repay you the £485 as a gesture of goodwill.
I approached Eventbrite, but got no reply.
It is not quite Justice for All, but I'm glad you've got your money back and hope you and your friends get to see your hero at some point soon.