The organiser of a Willy Wonka-inspired “immersive experience” in Glasgow has committed to refunding all tickets bought for the failed event.
Frustrated visitors to Willy’s Chocolate Experience, held at the Box Hub Warehouse in Whiteinch on Saturday, branded the House of Illuminati event “a farce” and said their children were left upset by the quality of the attraction.
Organisers cancelled the experience only hours into it opening after they were met with a furious reaction by customers, and police confirmed officers had been called to the venue.
According to the Willy’s Chocolate Experience website, families were set to go an “enchanting” day out with “giant sweets, vibrant blooms, mysterious-looking sculptures, and magical surprises” where “dreams come to life”.
The organiser said in a statement that planning for the event was his full responsibility and that 850 transactions will be refunded.
House of Illuminati wrote on Facebook: “I am reaching out to address the recent cancellation of the ‘Willys Chocolate Experience’ event.
“Firstly, I want to extend my sincerest apologies to each and every one of you who was looking forward to this event. I understand the disappointment and frustration this has caused, and for that, I am truly sorry.
“It’s important for me to clarify that the organization and decisions surrounding this event were solely my responsibility.
“I want to make it clear that anyone who was hired externally or offered their help, are not affiliated with the me or the company, any use of faces can cause serious harm to those who did not have any involvement in the making of this event.”
The statement continued: “Regarding the refunds, I am committed to rectifying this situation. All all 850 transactions will be continue to be refunded has been posted to ensure transparency and to demonstrate my commitment to making this right for everyone affected.
“I ask for a bit of time to process everything that has happened. My intention is to learn from this experience. Your support and understanding during this time mean the world to me. Thank you for taking the time to read this message.”
Meanwhile Box Hub, where the event was held, have decided to put the hand-painted ‘Event Cancelled’ sign on Ebay, with plans to donate all profits to the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.
Box Hub/EbayBox Hub posted on Facebook: “We’re sure many of you have seen this excellent piece of signage, either in person or from the numerous sources covering the resulting global comedy of the chocolate experience event hosted within our Warehouse Venue last week.
“All comedy aside, we understand that many children and families were left disappointed after travelling from across the country for this event.
“We’d like to see some good come from this.
“You can find this sign for sale on eBay, we’ll be donating all the profits from this to ‘Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity’.”
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