Promotional group says no refunds will be given after Lil Wayne - wistv.com - Columbia, South Carolina

The promotional group behind the 2nd annual Fall Ball has said refunds will not be given after rapper Lil Wayne did not perform as advertised. 

The rapper showed up to Colonial Life Arena for the concert but didn't perform or even enter the building.

Ben Hated, LLC and Victory Promotions said in a letter to Colonial Life Arena that after careful consideration and consulting with their attorneys, they made the collective decision to not offer refunds. 

"All of our flyers and promotions has never once mentioned Lil Wayne as the headliner nor mentioned this as a Lil Wayne concert," the letter read. 

CLA officials released a statement Sunday evening in response to the letter they received from the promotional groups. In the statement, officials say that although they do not agree with the decision to not refund patrons, they are still in discussions with the promotion groups and say they will not reach a final resolution by 10 a.m. Monday morning. Earlier in the day on Sunday, CLA had promised to begin giving refunds by that time.  

The full letter from the promotion group reads: 

Hello Colonial Life Arena Staff,

      After careful consideration and a consultation with our attorneys we collectively have decided not to offer refunds for the 2nd Annual Fall Ball 2017.  All of our flyers and promotions has never once mentioned Lil Wayne as the headliner nor mentioned this as a Lil Wayne concert. (also attached is Lil Wayne non-headlining contract vs. Tyrese headlining artist contract where you have to receive approval for supporting acts)  Each artist on the 2nd Annual Fall Ball is a headlining act in their own right. It was our preference to have Cardi B. to perform as the last act of the night however, both 2Chainz and Lil Wayne both threatened to cancel if this was done.  Cardi B. currently has reached the #1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100. This record breaking achievement and something that has not been done in over 15years by a female hiphop artist. In addition, it was in the original plan to add on additional artist such as Drake, Travis Scott, and Nicki Minaj but unfortunately there were scheduling conflicts.

      The 2nd Annual Fall Ball was designed to bring the top headlining acts to Columbia, SC.  The focus was not solely on Lil Wayne. We have attached all advertisements for you to review as proof that this was not a Lil Wayne concert.  The verbiage used in your email and majority of the news outlets announcement states, "Lil Wayne Cancellation" which refers to him as the headliner and the reason for refunds.  If one of the other acts had decided to cancel we would not have offered a refund. Therefore, no refund should be offered in Lil Wayne decision not to perform.  Not to mention all of the attendees still received a full concert with major acts that was well over $200k. (please review the additional comments from social media, also attached)  Together, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Taylor and I are responsible for 95% of the concerts in the city of Columbia, SC outside of Live Nation and AEG Live. We personally feel as though this issue is providing negative press and defamation to our prominent reputation in the city and surrounding areas.   

    We respectfully ask that the refund request be retracted immediately.  We certainly appreciate your assistance and all of the help you have provided throughout this concert process. Please feel free to contact me if you should have any additional questions or concerns.

Very Respectfully,

Victory B. Pernell

Victory Promotions

Dennis T. Taylor

Ben Hated, LLC.

Julis Lewis

MTS Entertainment

CLA's response to that letter said: 

October 1, 2017

GEN: Colonial Life Arena Statement on Refunds for Fall Ball

Colonial Life Arena received a letter today from the promoters of the 2nd Annual Fall Ball retracting their offer for ticket refunds. CLA disagrees with that decision. We are in discussions with the promoters and will continue to represent the interest of our patrons regarding refunds. However, a resolution will not be finalized by 10 a.m. tomorrow when refunds were scheduled to begin. As we continue to seek a positive outcome for our patrons, we ask for your patience and apologize for this inconvenience. 

More information will be released pending final outcome of discussions.

CLA's first released statement from early Sunday morning said the concert's headliner did not want to go through the venue's security procedures and did not enter the arena.

That statement said:

On September 30, 2017, Lil Wayne was scheduled to perform at Colonial Life Arena as a part of the 2nd Annual Fall Ball. Unfortunately, Lil Wayne elected not to enter the building through the venue’s standard safety procedures. 

The safety of its patrons, its performers, and its staff members is and continues to be the number one priority for Colonial Life Arena. While we regret the artist's decision not to perform, Colonial Life Arena is not willing to bypass its security standards and jeopardize the safety of its patrons, performers, or staff members.

Colonial Life Arena will provide refunds starting on Monday at 10 a.m. for patrons. Refunds are will be available at the point of purchase.

The concert also featured rappers Tory Lanez, Cardi B., and 2 Chainz.

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