Bridgerton fans get a dollar-bin Willy Wonka experience to call their own

Following in the tradition of Glasgow’s historic “Willy Wonka Experience,” which fooled Scottish parents into taking their kids to Spirit Halloween landfill for the afternoon, Detroit’s Bridgerton fans got to bask in the glow of being scammed last weekend. Per Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ, an events company known as Uncle N Me (which should’ve been everyone’s first warning because it’s not Netflix) advertised a night of unauthorized Bridgerton-themed decadence and came up woefully short. Held at Detroit’s Harmonie Club on September 22, the Bridgerton Ball was a total bust, as fans complained of a lack of food, entertainment, and, really, anything to do with Bridgerton.

Depending on the package, tickets ranged between $100 and $1,000 to the sparsely decorated, potentially health-code-violating event. Alas, after paying $250 to Uncle N Me, guests who purchased the “Duke and Duchess” option, which supposedly came with a dinner, music, a professional dance card, a professional photo (if Airdrop is working), and valet service, didn’t get what they paid for. Instead, they received “undercooked food” and an exotic dancer grinding on a pole in a half-empty banquet hall—the Bridgerton experience, as we all imagined.

Initially, Uncle N Me planned to host the event on August 25 but canceled and then rescheduled the event. At the time, the trustworthy company Uncle N Me announced that, “due to unforeseen circumstances,” the original venue canceled the event. Speaking to their reputation as an honest business, Uncle N Me refused refunds and decided to reschedule. The company has since disabled its website and turned off social media comments, 7 News Detroit reports, as angry attendees demand refunds.