ComplaintsforSnowglobe Express

• Initial Complaint

  02/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I purchased 6 tickets for the Snow globe express train ride on September 23, 2022. The tickets were for the 5 PM train ride on December 23, 2022. Snowglobe express made the decision to cancel the train ride for that day due to the weather and snow. Customers were given the option to pick another train ride day before the end of their season which I believe was New Year’s Eve or to fill out a voucher via email so that we would have our pick of 2023 train ride dates. Our tickets would be honored. It was made clear, no cash refunds would be made. Before the 2023 season started snow globe express posted a ******** message stating that they would not operate that season. I put a comment on the ******** page asking what would happen for those of us that paid the money for the tickets and filled out the voucher form to get our tickets honored as they had promised. Instead of receiving a response, snow globe express blocked me from their ******** page. That is very unprofessional what they did, and how they acted. This company may also go by Midland railroad. Instead of receiving a magical Christmas train ride as they advertise, instead they lied and took peoples money and didn’t hold their word. I am thankful that I bought standard tickets instead of the premium seating. I can’t imagine how some of the other families may feel because those tickets were much more expensive.

• Initial Complaint

  10/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  BBB unable to locate business

  More info

  On August 31, 2022, I purchased 8 tickets to the Snowglobe Express out of ******* ******** ** ******* ***** *** The tickets were for December 22, 2022, however, we were notified the day before that the train would be cancelled due to snow. We received a ****** Form on Friday, December 30, 2022 if we wanted to put our tickets toward the 2023 train. ******* ******** has apparently gone out of business and/or was purchased by Rock Island Rail. I emailed all parties listed on the Rock Island Rail, and was immediately given a response that **** ******** of Silverback Enterprises is the responsible party and owes over $400,000 in unpaid refunds. I have reached out to **** ******** at the email given and have also messaged the Silverback "contact us" option. I have received no response. I am pursing a full refund for my purchase.

• Initial Complaint

  09/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Paid for tickets to ride train they canceled due to cold. They sent me a code to use for tickets this year but their web site is gone, they dont answer phone or emails.

• Initial Complaint

  08/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I PURCHASED 7 TICKETS FOR NIGHT CHILD & ADULT PREMIUM INCL DRINK FOR 12/23/22 @ 5PM, ***** ******************* TOTALING $509.95 ON 8/30/22 VENDOR WPY*MIDLAND RAILROAD, CREDIT CARD ENDING IN 8957. ON 12/19/2022 @ 1:43PM I RECEIVED AN EMAIL STATING DUE TO DANGEOUSLY COLD TEMPERATURSES EXCURSIONS FOR 12/22 & 12/23 WERE BEING CANCELLED. TICKET HOLDERS HAVE THE OPTION TO CHOOSE FROM SEVERAL DATES LEFT IN 2022 OR USE THE VOUCHER FOR A DATE IN 2023. tHEY STATED THEY WERE NOT ISSUING REFUNDS. i WAS GIVEN A CODE OR THE OPTION TO COMPLETE A FORM - WHICH I DID. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO GO TO SNOWGLOBEEXPRESS.COM TO SELECT A NEW DATE IN 2023 ONCE AVAILABLE. THAT WEBSITE NO LONGER EXISTS, NOR DOES A PHONE NUMBER AND I HAVE SINCE BEEN TOLD THE BUSINESS WAS SOLD TO A PERSON NOT HONORING THESE VOUCHERS, BUT I HAVE NO WAY TO REACH ANYONE AND MY BANK ONLY ALLOWS ACTIONS FOR 60 DAYS. THIS IS A VERY LOT OF MONEY FOR OUR FAMILY AND I AM EXTREMELY UPSET. I WOULD LIKE AT THE VERY LEAST REIMBURSED ASAP.

  Customer response

  08/14/2023

  I have a few other families that are interested in a similar resolution. Do you have current contact information for the owner? This is very concerning and my family does not have $500 to just throw away because a new owner is not responsive or refunding monies.

  Is the train still operating in Ballwin City? i appreciare your time and do plan to follow through to the fullest extent as this is just bad business.

  Thank you.

  ****

  Customer response

  09/06/2023

  I am still requesting your help.  I have the following information to update you with.  This is not at all acceptable business on the owner's part. I am not a wealthy person and I feel extremely taken advantage of and over $500 is alot of money for our family fun.

  The fella that runs that Snowglobe Express out of Baldwin City is named **** ********.  He lives in an area called Globe, Ks.  just west of Baldwin near Lona Star Lake.  ******** has him as ****** ********, he lists himself as owner and founder of the snowglobe express.  He is on Instagram as ****** ********, ****************. I believe his brother, ***** ********* ** * ******* ** ********* **.  **** ******** is also somehow connected to a business in Baldwin called The Ice Cream House.

• Initial Complaint

  07/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I purchased tickets to the Snowglobe Express for a holiday train ride for my family. I purchased the tickets on August 14th, 2022 for a ride for my family of 4 for December 23rd. A few days before the event I got an email that they were canceling due to weather. They did not offer a refund but instead stated we could pick a date for after Christmas or for the following year. I chose to get tickets for the following year (2023) as the event was Christmas related and the only options left available were for after Christmas. To my understanding they are not running this event this year. I have tried several different contacts without a response on getting a refund. There were many others affected by this cancelation and I have been in contact with a few who are having the same issue of trying to get a refund without getting anywhere.

• Initial Complaint

  02/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  7 members of my family rode on the December 24th 1pm train (****** ***). Confirmation code: ******************* The train ride was a horrible and traumatizing experience. One employee said that the heater broke on the train. We have videos of us and others on the train freezing where you could see our breath. The kids were screaming because of how cold it was. The guy dressed as the conductor came and said that they had tried to put mini heaters on the train to take some of the chill off the car. But it didn't work. It was terribly cold. The windows were all frosted over with ice so you couldn't see out. What is the point of a train ride when you can't see outside? When we finally arrived at the reindeer farm there were minimal bonfires available that families were aggressively fighting to get a spot at. Everyone was just trying to warm up their babies and kids. The weather would have been fine and bearable if the train was heated as advertised. I asked an employee there if there was a warming room and she said to go wait in the bathrooms because they were the only heated place. Why pay all this money to sit in the bathroom trying to warm up our kids? ******* ****** **** ** ** *** *** *** *** ***** *** ************* ** *** **** *** **** **** **** *** * ****** ****** ****** Kids hands were turning purple and families were miserable. ** ********* ***** **** *** *** ***** ** ****** **** ****  It was a traumatizing experience being worried about my kids safety. If the heat on the train wasn't working that day they should have cancelled that train time. This was a public safety issue that needs to be addressed. I have filled out numerous "contact us" forms on their website and have tried communicating via ******** *********. They have blocked me and deleted my comment about the safety concern on their ******** page. It is negligent of a company to hide and not address significant safety issues.

  Customer response

  02/22/2023

  *********** ***********
  *** ****** *** ******* *** *** **** *** ***** ***** **** *********** They should have called off the train instead of putting families at risk.
  *** **************** ********* ***********

• Initial Complaint

  01/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Snowglobe Express canceled the train ride for our reserved day due to the weather. They do not offer refunds. They offered to allow us to pick another time/day in 2022 or wait and do it in 2023. We've since moved away. None of the dates available worked for our family. We won't even be around that area in 2023. We just want a refund for services never provided.

• Initial Complaint

  11/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  11/26/22 9pm departure time We spent $****** Company expressed they would provide a train ride 30 - 35 minutes to turn around point, then about 30 minutes at the turn around point for items explained, then 30 -35 minutes back. 2 - Premium Seating Night Train Tickets A little rain and the owner tells his employees to close, but doesn't tell any guests that he is shutting it down. Website says Train will run as normal. He didn't change website until 9:15pm! Train was scheduled to leave at 9pm. Website said to be there 45 minutes early. I checked website at 7pm, as there is no phone number on website, before we made a trip to ************. I drove 120 miles round trip from **********. He tells the employees that he is worried someone will get too drunk, Slip, Fall and sue him! Wow! I guess if it sprinkles, rains or Snows some drunk might slip and fall... Website does not say it will cancel if such things happen. No refunds though, or gas money for driving all the way there because website said train was running as normal...! I just think if owner was going to cancel as rain started at 4pm and weather station said rain until 6am, that he should have changed website long before 9:15pm. Rain wasn't even hard enough to use an umbrella! As such I believe refunds are in order at least. I also feel gas money is in order or some sort of compensation. I should be asking for wear and tear on vehicle and time lost for what could have been handled differently, but I know that is asking for too much. The owner is only offering credit for new tickets, but we can't go to any other day, so we just lose our money. If we couldn't make it, I would understand no refunds, but this was not the case! Don ********

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩