Time slipping by for slide creditors
Four months have slipped by since it embarked on a nationwide tour, but the queue of angry customers and suppliers claiming they are owed money from Monster Slide events remains.
Poor ticket sales and consenting issues also appear to be plaguing the Australian version of the slip-and-slide event, with two recent dates put off.
More New Zealand customers and business suppliers of Monster Slide have come forward, claiming the company and event organisers have outstanding refunds and invoices to pay since its heavily criticised tour began on February 1 in Christchurch.
New Zealand company Trill Productions ran the event in New Zealand. Australian entity Monster Slide Australia Pty is the Australian operator.
Hundreds of unsatisfied customers were promised refunds after the event was marred by long queues, serious injuries to some sliders and the calling off of events in Wellington and Dunedin.
People previously spoken to said they had since received refunds, some after numerous emails, others immediately. But there are customers still waiting.
They include Canterbury man Adrian West, who was forced off work for several weeks with spinal and head injuries after he was wiped out by another slider on the Christchurch course. He is still dealing with the effects of concussion.
Trill Productions sole director and Monster Slide New Zealand chief executive Jamie Templeton promised he would follow up with the ticketing agency after hearing West was not refunded his $60, but West’s wife Tracey said the money never materialised.
In Wellington, customers were told the event was postponed due to concerns over the location. It remains unclear whether the event will go ahead in the city but refunds were offered.
Wellington customer Melissa Cross supplied an email proving Monster Slide had received her refund request after deciding she did not want her daughter to use the slide in light of negative feedback of the event.
‘‘There were another four that I can think of that were going, and only one of them has a refund,’’ she said.
Another Wellington customer, Mike Riversdale, said he was still awaiting an $85 refund for a family pass after organisers notified him the event would not go ahead.
A Christchurch woman who was promised a refund within 21 days on February 7 said she was still waiting, while another customer, Jo Rodwell, said she had given up on getting her $89 refund.
‘‘They said my refund was approved and would send it but this never happened. I emailed them about 20 times and then gave up. Each time promising but never got it. I gave up.’’
Christchurch scaffold company SSPNZ and the city branch of national fence hire firm 0508Tempfence claimed they were owed $34,215 and $1725 respectively for their services at the event in the city.
Templeton has disputed the amount owed to SSPNZ, previously claiming about $23,000 was owed, and has allegedly not paid the fence hire bill.
‘‘[Legal action] is still an option, but I guess I don’t want to waste that money if [Monster Slide] has none,’’ SSPNZ director John Manson said.
Another company, Bouncy Fun Castles, said it provided bouncy castles, outsourced generators and hired extra staff to cater for a last-minute booking by Monster Slide organisers for the Auckland leg in February.
An outstanding invoice for $2145 has left Bouncy Fun Castles spokeswoman Tasha Tasmania feeling ‘‘let down and stressed’’. She said she was told by Faith Van Lith [a ceased director of Trill Productions] the bill would be paid within 10 working days of receiving the invoice, dated March 10.
‘‘I will contact a debt collector to try and recover some of my money.’’
In Australia, Monster Slide sold tickets online before it was told by the Brisbane City Council it could not run the event due to a raft of concerns.
Then, just days from a new event scheduled for May 16 and 17 on the Sunshine Coast, organisers postponed it until September due to poor ticket sales, according to the Monster Slide Facebook page.
In an email, Templeton said: ‘‘All customers who have requested a refund have received one promptly from our ticketing agent. It’s clearly evident you are hatching a story together to further defame me and Monster Slide.’’
Templeton did not comment on claims made by suppliers.
It’s clearly evident you are hatching a story together to further defame me and Monster Slide. Jamie Templeton Monster Slide New Zealand chief executive