Hi Amanda!
Thanks so much for your message — truly. I always appreciate when someone takes the time to share their experience, and I’m really sorry to hear that yours left you feeling frustrated. That’s never the intention.
That said, I do want to lovingly (but firmly!) set the record straight — because several points in your note are simply not accurate.
🌟 First: The “hidden $13 donation”?
Not a thing. Our system doesn’t — and literally can’t — force donations at checkout. What you saw was a standard processing fee, which is always clearly listed before completing your registration. There are no surprise costs, no hidden tricks. What you see is what you pay. Promise.
💳 Second: Your refund.
You were issued a full refund on June 2nd, 2025, right back to your original card. If it hasn’t shown up yet, I’m happy to resend confirmation or walk you through how to locate it. We're not the type to sit on people’s money — that's just not how we do things.
🦁 Third: The Wildlife Sanctuary.
We’ve held several events there in the past without any issue. This event was cancelled ahead of time, and that info (along with the refund) was sent directly to the email you provided. There’s no scam, no investigation, no drama — just a change in plans, which happens sometimes in community-based outdoor programming.
🧗♀️ And that story about another participant having a similar issue?
That’s news to us. We’ve double-checked every event log and communication thread and found nothing to support that claim. Everyone who signs up for one of our events is either welcomed in-person or fully refunded if something changes — just like in your case.
Amanda, I know it’s easy to jump to conclusions when things go wrong — especially if it feels like no one’s answering fast enough (which I’ll absolutely take ownership for; we’re a small, scrappy team and sometimes responses lag). But I can assure you, there’s no ill intent here. Just real people trying our absolute best to build something meaningful, transparent, and healing for folks in recovery.
If you ever want to talk more about it or give us another shot in the future, my door’s wide open. And if not — no hard feelings at all. Life is too short, and recovery is too sacred, for anything less than kindness and truth.
Wishing you nothing but peace, good vibes, and happy trails ahead. 🌈
All the best,
Nick
Founder, Sober Outdoors