A.G. Schneiderman Announces Lawsuit Alleging Buffalo Music Promoter Defrauded Consumers Of Over $14,000 In Music Festival Scam

Cody Conway Allegedly Charged Nearly 150 New Yorkers For Concert Tickets, Then Cancelled Event Without Refunding Customers

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman recently announced a lawsuit against Cody Conway, a Buffalo music promoter, and his company, Buffalove Music Festival, LLC. Conway promoted the Buffalove Music Festival 2017, which was to take place from July 20 to July 23 in Franklinville, NY. The complaint alleges that Conway cancelled the festival weeks before the scheduled date and failed to refund customers who purchased tickets to event. In total, 146 New Yorkers purchased tickets from Conway for a combined $14,896.42 including service fees, with tickets ranging from $85 to $125 a piece, the complaint alleges.

"New Yorkers should get what they pay for – and they’re entitled to timely refunds if event organizers don’t follow through on their promises," said Attorney General Schneiderman. "My office won't tolerate scammers who trick hardworking consumers into forking over cash for performances they'll never see."

After receiving consumer complaints, the Attorney General's office launched an investigation into Conway. As alleged in the complaint, the investigation uncovered that Conway cancelled the festival on June 5, 2017 and – although he promised to provide refunds within 90 days – failed to do so.

The Attorney General's Office learned that Ticketfly (a site through which Conway sold tickets) made a payment totaling $13,305 to Conway for the tickets that were purchased on their site, and expected that Conway would refund customers. When he failed to do so, Ticketfly provided the refunds to consumers who purchased tickets through their site. However, some would-be concertgoers may have made payments directly to Conway – and therefore did not receive refunds. In particular, Conway still owes one customer $1,000 for a cabin rental during the weekend of the festival.

During the investigation, the Attorney General's office served Conway with a subpoena, requiring that he produce records of the ticket sales and have his sworn statement taken. Conway allegedly failed to cooperate with the investigation, leading the Attorney General’s office to file a lawsuit against him. The Attorney General seeks to require that Conway disclose all persons who made payments directly to him and refund those payments. Additionally, the lawsuit seeks to prohibit Conway from promoting concerts or engaging in any business in New York State, until he pays full restitution, penalties, and costs.

The Attorney General encourages consumers purchasing tickets for an event to avoid paying by debit card, wire transfer or pre-paid money transfer. If the event is cancelled, consumers may have a difficult time getting their money back. Consumers who pay by credit card, however, can dispute the charge if the event is cancelled. Consumers who believe they are the victim of a scam should file a complaint online or by calling the consumer helpline at 1-800-771-7755.

This case was handled by Assistant Attorney General James M. Morrissey, and Investigator Erica Law. The Buffalo Regional Office is led by Assistant Attorney General In Charge Michael Russo. The Division of Regional Offices is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General for Regional Affairs Marty Mack.