One of the biggest urban pride events of the summer, Inferno Dominican Republic was scheduled to kick off this past Thursday, August 29. It was being hailed as the event of the summer according to their official website.
When some guest arrived in the Dominican Republic a day early on Wednesday, August 28th, to allot time to settle in before the festivities, they found themselves to be stranded at the airport with no transportation. Transportation that was included in the packages sold by the events' organizers.
After being alerted without proper notice by Inferno's founder Will Williams, that Inferno Dominican Republic was cancelled many of the patrons who planned on attending wondered what would become of the situation. Would they receive a refund? How? When? And what events were going on behind the scenes that caused the demise of one of this summers' most anticipated gay pride events?
Earlier this week after releasing his first official statement of apologies. Williams sent out a letter to all patrons, informing them on two refund options.
"All Inferno DR 2013 patrons please check your email accounts for your copy of the following letter detailing the refund options. Agents of Worldwide Travel Partners will also be contacting you via telephone during normal business hours. We are truly sorry for the turn of events and will continue to work diligently until is resolved."Here is what the letter read:
Dear Inferno Dominican Republic 2013 Patron,
Words cannot express out sadness regarding the recent chain of events that precipitated the cancellation of Inferno Dominican Republic 2013. Please know that we worked tirelessly until the last minute to resolve all outstanding matters so that the event could proceed as planned. We were shocked to discover that we would not be able to do so. Since Wednesday, August 28th, we have worked nonstop to resolve the situation. To that extent, our travel agency co-ordinance, Worldwide Travel Partners, has assisted us with providing the two following reimbursement options listed below:
1) Trip Cancellation Refund: As with previous years, we have set aside a portion of your payment to purchase travel insurance on your behalf. This plan covers 100% of Trip Cost for a number of reasons including Trip Cancellation. Reimbursement generally requires 4-6 weeks.
2) Trip Cancellation Credit: By selecting this option, you will receive a credit of 150% of Trip Cost good for the use of any future Inferno trip of your choosing. For example, if you paid $1,000 for Inferno Dominican Republic 2013, you will receive $1,500 to use toward any future Inferno event in Canada, Puerto Rico, or the Dominican Republic.
To discuss any further benefits of these options, please contact us via email at info@infernodr-men.com or info@infernodr-women.com or call an agent of Worldwide Travel Partners during normal business hours from 8am to 5pm EST if you wish to speak to a live person. Due to a high volume of emails and phone calls, please allow 1 to 2 business days for someone to respond to you.
Despite everything that has happened this past week, it's nice to see that Williams and his team have come to such resolves in a timely manner. While many, including myself are still wondering what truly happened behind-the-scenes that caused the abrupt cancellation, there is resolution, and the future is on the horizon.
