The festival that was meant to lift people's spirits has instead left them fighting for refunds.
The RiSE Festival was canceled Saturday after storms and lightning were in the area. Organizers said they would only refund people who bought inclement weather insurance while everyone else would get 40 percent off next year's event.
Oceana Sanchez is one of the people who didn't buy insurance. She says she is now out $400 and after this year's event she doesn't plan on going back.
"They get to pocket the money and we get to lose out not only on the money but the memory," Sanchez said.
Sanchez went to the festival with her 5 and 7-year-old daughter in hopes of finding renewed hope after the family spent years dealing with abuse from Sanchez's ex-husband.
"It was definitely a start over for us, but it kind of just pointed us back in the chaos," Sanchez said.
The family, who traveled from San Diego, is just one of the dozens of people who complained on the RiSE Facebook page upset they won't be seeing a dime in return.
There are a few things you can try to possibly receive a refund. Third-party sellers like StubHub have reportedly offered some festival goers refunds. You can also try to make a claim with your bank but will have to wait weeks for a resolution. You may have luck calling the ticket seller and negotiating a refund.
Lawyers say the bottom line is a refund isn't required if the organizers have clearly stated they will not give your money back prior to the event.
