COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — An Arizona-based company with more than 200 complaints on the Better Business Bureau is under fire from customers who say they were scammed out of their money.
Blacklight Run, owned by Cool Events LLC, calls itself "the world's brightest 5K" and boasts online about its light shows and glow powder.
"I try to stay active and do a lot of running races and things and thought a Blacklight Run ... that sounds really fun," Reed Hoppus said.
He learned about the run after seeing an ad for it on Facebook. He signed himself and his wife up for the event, which was scheduled to take place July 30 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.
The registration was free, but he bought about $90 worth of gear from the company ahead of the event.
"They offered phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark sticks and powders, sunglasses, headbands. Very cool stuff that was going to show up under the black lights and be really fun," Hoppus said.
But the run would never happen.
"Hey, Blacklight Runners. We regret to inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances, we suddenly had to postpone our Blacklight Run in Denver. No worries, though. We're trying to get a new date,'" Hoppus read from an email he received in June. "And then that's it."
As of Sunday, the run remains postponed, as do ones in other cities, according to the event's website.
"There was no explanation," Hoppus said.
Communication with both Blacklight Run and Cool Events, the company in charge of the run, has been nonexistent.
"I got a mailer daemon email back, which is essentially saying that it's a fake email address," Reed said.
Denver7 also tried to get in contact with both entities. An email to Cool Events bounced back with a message indicating "the email account ... does not exist," and the phone number on the company's website doesn't work. A recording said," Your call cannot be completed as dialed. Please check the number and dial again."
According to the Better Business Bureau, Cool Events LLC has an F rating and more than 200 complaints. The BBB has also had no luck getting in contact with the company, writing on its website:
"BBB contacted the business to address business practice concerns. The business did not respond."
"I should have done some better research, but it's easy to fall prey to for sure," Hoppus said.
He's accepted he won't be getting a refund. Now, he wants to warn others about buying into things that seem legitimate on social media.
"I really just want people to be aware that scams exist in all shapes and sizes," he said. "It's not just that random telephone call."
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