Good morning

We would like to take this opportunity to give you an update.

Last week we wrote to you informing you of the cancelled of Zulu Hour.

We set out a deadline for when refunds would be processed.

Before that deadline had elapsed and after we had already processed 23 refunds, a customer filed a complaint with our card processing company. We responded to the complaint by confirming to that customer that refunds were being processed and were due for completion within the timeframe we had outlined in our email – but they escalated the complaint anyway, resulting in a restriction being placed on our account. We have no idea why they would do that.

At the same time, it was brought to our attention that the same customer had started some sort of internet campaign. Posting widely on social media, websites and internet forums a series of untrue claims including that we had refused to issue any Zulu Hour refunds and that 22 players were intending to take legal action. All of this was still before the deadline we had set out from day one had elapsed. Quite why someone would wish to kick off all this drama on the internet so unnecessarily is a mystery. Links posted by Finley Russell are not only untrue but are also the subject of an Harassment Order issued by the Metropolitan Police and also form part of a legal case whose papers were filed only last week. We informed Mr Russell that his postings were taking him in to an area that had potentially serious consequences, but he continued regardless.

Quite why we could not have been left to carry on processing refunds so all could have been completed EXACTLY as we set out they would be, is a mystery. But instead all of this drama has been created, our processing account restricted, false claims circulated, fuss and drama and hysterics on the internet – its all so totally unnecessary and the only thing Mr Russell has achieved is to delay the remaining refunds and insert himself straight in to the middle of an existing drama which already involves the police and an ongoing court case. Some people love being involved in all this stuff, but it just seems utterly pointless to us. At any point he could have just picked up the phone and spoken to us. To complicate things further, a friend of Mr Russell also sent a series of messages relating to ticket refunds, but did not even have a ticket for the event!

With all this totally unnecessary fuss and drama going on, we were advised to immediately stop processing any further refunds until there is clarity as to who Mr Russell is speaking on behalf of (22 people apparently), what legal action he is filing and what restrictions are placed on our card processing account.

It’s a shame as we don’t really have time for this sort of stuff and all it has achieved is delaying the last remaining refunds for other customers. For the record, we’re not hard to find, our phone number is on the website, anyone can call at any time, if we are in the field leave a message and you’ll get a call back. There is no conspiracy theory, there is no elaborate dastardly scheme, we’re only talking a couple of hundred quid for the remaining refunds so its not a lot of money – we just wanted to put a brake on it yesterday with all this nonsense kicking off until we knew what was going on, especially with threats of legal action from a group we have no idea who they are who Mr Russell seems to speak on behalf of.

Its all very exciting and dramatic for those who like this sort of hysterics, personally, I find it tiresome and don’t really understand why we couldn’t have been left to just finish off processing the refunds. But it is what it is and we’ll just have to work through it our end. Once we know what its all about we’ll continue with these last few refunds and put it to bed.

Regards
Zulu Hour