OSHKOSH, Wis. (NBC 26) -- Rock USA fans weren't surprised to see the three-day festival cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, but are frustrated that refunds have not been fulfilled almost two weeks since the cancellation was announced.
"I wasn't surprised that it was cancelled, but we have missed two other concerts, and we missed a trip so plane tickets, lots of other things and they all got refunded immediately," Oxsanna Stoken, a six-time Rock USA attendee said.
Stoken and many other fans are drawing comparisons between how Rock USA and Rock Fest, another rock music festival in Wisconsin, have handled the coronavirus fallout. Fans from Rock Fest have already seen refunds from the unfulfilled tickets paid for 2020.
For many Rock USA ticket holders, this event costs their vacation budget.
"It's my summer vacation, you know, I don't do much or many things but that was kind of gonna be it," Andrew Dodge said ahead of what would have been his second Rock USA festival. "Had a camper locked up that I had to reserve, put a deposit on. Yeah so, being out six hundred bucks is no small chunk of change."
Jordan Dietz paid "about 320 dollars for their VIP passes" to attend his first Rock USA festival this year.
"We're out like almost 1500 dollars," between campers and multiple tickets, Stoken said.
"We're in it for about two thousand," rock concert enthusiast Logan Casady said. "We have four VIP passes and then camping and pit tickets, stuff like that."
Casady admitted that he feels guilty for convincing friends to attend this event together this summer only for it to turn out "messy and unprofessional."
Earlier today, organizers published a statement on Facebook saying they're "seriously impaired" financially and looking to pay artists and vendors before getting refunds to customers.
This is Rock USA's first statement since the event's cancellation. Organizers, collectively known as Hypervibe, say they're optimistic that they will hold a 2021 Rock USA and be able to honor prepaid tickets then.
"They're saying 'oh we need time,' like whatever," Stoken said. "You've had plenty of time."
Hypervibe's handling of their customer's finances in the wake of coronavirus has impacted brand loyalty and return potential, with almost every customer NBC 26 spoke to considering taking their money to Rock Fest instead.
"I will never go to Rock USA again," Dodge said. "It'll never happen."
"We'll never do it again and from the way it looks, I don't even know if they'll have it next year," Casady said.
