‘It’s a disgrace’ - Families worried about not getting refunds from Fortnite Live

Nathan Patrick (back left) and Craig Parslow (back right) with their children (from left to right) Logan, Brayden and Harvey, are unhappy customers at the 'Fortnite Live' event held at the Norfolk Showground. Picture: Ella Wilkinson (Image: Archant)

Exciting Events, who organised the festival at the Norfolk Showground on Saturday and Sunday, have come under fire after many who attended faced long queues, felt it was overpriced and said there were a lack of activities linked to the video game Fortnite.

Now unhappy festival-goers say they have been unable to contact the company to claim refunds.

Clare Wright, 39, took her 11-year-old son and his friend. She paid £60 for early tickets then another £20 for wristbands.

The store manager said: 'I am annoyed by the whole thing and then they post a video on their Facebook page about the event being great, it's a disgrace.'

The empty fields as people struggle to justify the pricetag of the 'Fortnite Live' event held at the Norfolk Showground. Picture: Ella Wilkinson (Image: Archant)

Ms Wright, from Felthorpe, left after seeing what was at the event. She got an initial refund for her tickets but not the wristbands.

She added: 'Their Facebook page has now gone and Shaun Lord has not replied to my email that I sent straight after I left.

'I don't know how organising events work or who I should contact but I doubt I will be getting my money back.'

Just hours after the festival kicked off, customers took to social media to complain.

The Cave Experience at the Fortnite Live event at the Norfolk Showground. Picture Justine Petersen. (Image: Justine Petersen)

Following the backlash, the event page was removed from Facebook on Monday.

Meanwhile, Epic Games, the company behind the video game Fortnite, distanced itself from the festival, stating it was in no way associated.

Shaun Lord, from Exciting Events, blamed 'staffing issues' for the delays on Saturday - a problem he claimed to have been mostly rectified by Sunday.

Norfolk Trading Standards is advising people to contact Citizen's Advice for information on their consumer rights.

Clare and her son Jack went to Fortnite Live. Picture: Clare Wright (Image: Archant)

Michelle Smith, 35, from Swaffham, took her two children to the festival on Saturday.

She said: 'By the time we arrived, there were people telling us to leave and not to bother getting wristbands.

'We stayed for an hour to keep the kids happy, but they spent 30 minutes of it running around outside.'

She said she attempted to get a refund by contacting the organisers through Facebook and the website Eventbrite, but has had no response.

Exciting Events has been contacted for comment, but did not respond.

A spokesman for the Norfolk Showground said the event organisers were fully vetted.