Formula E fan has 'no faith' in car race organizer, as city returns its $500K deposit for cancelled event

Vancouver is refunding the $500,000 deposit for a major international electric car race that was supposed to have happened earlier this month before organizers pulled out.

The two-day event was scheduled to start on July 2, and included a Nickelback concert, before being cancelled by its organizer, One Stop Strategy (OSS) Group, who have previously said it would be rescheduled to next year.

But four weeks after the cancelled event's original date, ticket-holders have complained about not receiving refunds. The city said its repayment of the organizer's performance security payment for the event is contingent on giving fans their money back.

It was to be the first Formula E event in the city, and promoted as an economic boon, selling thousands of tickets to the False Creek-area races.

One of those fans waiting for a refund is Andrew Chobaniuk, who said he could not get any response after repeated request from organizers and ended up reporting it to his credit card company.

It reimbursed him the $210 he paid for four tickets to see the Vancouver races.

"Absolutely no word from the Formula E organizers despite numerous emails to them," he told CBC News in an email. "Received a refund from my credit card company pending an investigation."

"It's disappointing — you look forward to car racing finally making a return to Vancouver after all these years, and you're left feeling swindled. Given the lack of communication from the organizers ... I have no faith in OSS at all."

One Stop Strategy Group did not respond to multiple requests for comment Friday.

On Friday, the city said its deposit return would have "no financial impacts" on its budget, and was only made on the condition that "that the funds be used by OSS to pay its