The consumer ombudsman has referred the organisers of the Hey Neighbour Festival to the National Consumer Commission (NCC) for failure to refund festivalgoers.
Glen 21 Entertainment, the company behind the event in Pretoria that was cancelled last September, allegedly failed to refund tickets valued at between R1,600 and R3,800 each.
The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO) said it had received 44 complaints from disappointed customers whose refunds were not processed after the cancellation.
CGSO public relations and education manager Ouma Ramaru said her office had made several failed attempts to reach the organisers, and as a result they have taken a decision to issue the entity with 29 termination notices. The notice signals non-compliance with the consumer goods and service code of conduct and is issued when the ombudsman cannot resolve a dispute between an entity and complainant.
“The NCC can also cease the business from operating after its investigation if it finds the business has contravened the Consumer Protection Act.”
The NCC can further refer the matter to the Consumer Tribunal which has higher authority. NCC and tribunal decisions are legally binding.
Hey Neighbour 2025 was cancelled due to funding challenges and low ticket sales.
The cancellation led to frustrated ticket holders having to wait weeks, and in some cases months, for their money to be refunded. Many ticket buyers allegedly had their refund requests ignored or experienced unresponsive customer support, leading to threats of legal action.
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