Parents slam “shambles” Wonka experience
A Glasgow event has ended in tears after House of Illuminatis’ ‘Willy Wonka Chocolate Experience’ did not ‘choc’ up to expectations.
The event was held in Glasgow on Saturday and for £35, the organisers had promised “a world where dreams take flight and every corner holds a delightful surprise!”
Attendees were told to expect “visually stunning” set pieces inspired by the wonderful world of Roald Dahl’s classic novel with live performances and plenty of sweet treats for all the family.
Instead, they found a “barley furnished” warehouse and were given only a handful of jelly babies until the event was cancelled just half way through the day.
Many parents have expressed their disappointment and anger at the event which they claim was “poorly organised.”
Some families had travelled from as far as Dundee, they booked hotels for the night.
House of Illuminati has promised all attendees full refunds.
Kris, father, who drove over an hour from Ayrshire with his daughter after hearing about the event online, he paid £36 plus a £3 admin fee online.
They arrived on time for their afternoon booking, excited to explore the “magical world” they had been promised.
However, when Kris and his daughter tried to enter the warehouse they were told the event had been cancelled with no explanation.
They were still allowed to enter the building but found nothing magical about the venue.
He described the event as a “shamble” and he believed that the organisers had bit off more than they could chew.
Kris said, “I think the organisers got their expectations and their capabilities really mixed up, I don’t think they intentionally set out to scam people but I’m certainly not sticking up for them.
“They tried to put on an event and they failed miserably.”
He said there was also a lack of organisation and communication from House of Illuminati and many attendees had become “really angry.”
Kris has not yet received a refund.
Many parents have shared similar experiences with the Willy Wonka Chocolate Experience.
Yulia paid £36 for tickets for her and her daughter in addition to £15 in travel costs but when they arrived, they were turned away as the event had been cancelled without any notice.
Yulia and her daughter never made it inside the venue due to the abrupt cancellation but spoke with Billy Coull, the organiser, who claimed to be a “representative” for House of Illuminati.
She said, “He refused to answer any questions like why are tickets still on sale, it was a very fast conversation.”
Yulia has still not received a refund for the cost of her tickets and has disputed the cost as a scam with her bank account.
House of Illuminati has been approached for comment.
